With Ignorance Comes Bliss
by Mikuzu
Summary: Orihime Inoue is the prisoner of Las Noches...or so she thought. But she might not be the only one who's trapped. UlquiHime
1. Consumed

The monotonous rain pounded on the misted windows of Ulquiorra's room. A loud crack of thunder resounded through the desolate chasms of the grand hallway outside his quarters.

He took no notice of it, however, for he was deep in thought. The events of the day had left him completely immersed in a mental conflict he had thought up by himself, for himself.

It was the third day of Orihime Inoue's imprisonment within the confines of Las Noches. She still refused to eat the food Ulquiorra brought her. He thought she had been eating it, but later found the food under her bed. Things had been different since the day she had slapped him...

He hadn't told Aizen about the incident. Part of Ulquiorra couldn't, _wouldn't _tell him. But, why? Why couldn't he tell Aizen-sama, his Aizen-sama, who had created him and everyone else he really knew? Aizen-sama, who one could always trust and confide in?

That was what he lay there on his small, neat bed thinking so deeply about. He had come to the conclusion he was afraid of. Maybe...maybe he wouldn't tell Aizen because he was afraid of what might happen to Orihime. Maybe he had _feelings _for Orihime.

Of all the things he didn't want to happen in his life, developing feelings for his hostage was among the top of the list.

Then he realized it was time for her feeding. It came to him that he treated her just like an animal...

* * *

Ulquiorra slowly walked to the room where Orihime stayed prisoner. Firmly holding the tray laden with her meal, he tried to look as bored as possible. He could very clearly hear rain pounding down on the roof.

"Whatcha got there?" Nnoitra asked, entering the hallway. Ulquiorra hesitated.

"Food for Inoue-san," he replied bluntly. Nnoitra raised his eyebrows.

"Inoue...'san'? Getting chummy, are we?" he asked suspiciously. Ulquiorra sighed.

"Aizen-sama told me to develop a friendlier attitude towards the hostage to make her stay here more...tolerable."

Nnoitra sighed as well, and continued walking. Ulquiorra approached the door of Inoue's room. He put his hand up to knock, then stopped- it wasn't necessary.

"I'm coming in," he said, opening the heavy door. Orihime was sitting on the bed, wiping tears from her face. She looked up angrily at Ulquiorra.

"Here's your food," he said, placing it on the table by her bed. She glared at him.

"I don't want it," she hissed, turning away from him. Ulquiorra scowled.

"Just eat it," he insisted, turning to leave.

"No." He turned around. She stared at him detestedly. He swiftly walked over to her.

"If you won't eat it…" he started bitterly, "...then I will tie you down and force it down your throat". Orihime shuddered.

"That's what you'd like, isn't it? Force and violence...blood, hate, and war. You people are sick," she spat at him, standing up. Ulquiorra hesitated.

"Your kind is not much better. And starving yourself won't help the world," he answered. In anger, Orihime knocked over her table, causing food to scatter everywhere.

"I'M NOT HUNGRY!" she screamed, tears forming in her already red eyes. Ulquiorra then jumped on her, pinning her wrists to the floor, his knee on her stomach, his dark hair hanging in her face. He breathed heavily, his large green eyes narrowed in anger.

"You shouldn't have done that," he growled, tightening his grip on her wrists. She winced, glistening tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Tears..." he thought. It was rare to see them. He gingerly put his hand on her cheek. He felt the warm tears stream onto his own hand. He lifted his hand, putting the wetness up to his own eye. He blinked.

"Fascinating..." he muttered, turning his attention back to his prisoner. She looked at him confusedly. Slowly, she entwined her fingers with Ulquiorra's own. No longer could the wetness of her tears be felt. It was then that Ulquiorra noticed them- her eyes. Her large, gray, endlessly deep eyes.

He also noticed her eyes staring up into his, unblinkingly. His eyes widened as she broke free of his grip of her left wrist and absent mindedly traced the line resembling tears that went down the right side of his face.

They stayed like this, staring into each other's eyes for what could've been hours, but was really only a few minutes.

A drop of rain that hit Ulquiorra's head brought him back to his senses. He stared, shocked, down at her and sprung off of her to his feet. She sat up, stunned herself.

The ceiling continued to drip rain. Ulquiorra could feel himself blushing.

"I'll...get the leak fixed," he stated, heading for the door, "...and I'll get you more food. And you'll eat it."

Once outside her room, he saw Grimmjow staring out a window at the falling rain. Grimmjow looked up at him grinned.

"Ha, that's a good look for you," he said smirking. Ulquiorra glanced at his faint reflection in the window and gasped. His hair was somewhat messy, his face red, and his shirt was partway hanging off his shoulder. He smoothed his hair down and adjusted his shirt, glaring at Grimmjow.

"You think I...look 'good', Grimmjow?" he asked blankly. Grimmjow scowled.

"Of course not, ya emo wannabe. Go away," he replied in a very immature tone. Ulquiorra shrugged, walking away.


	2. Circuit

Ulquiorra went to his room to get some tape, and later returned to Orihime's room with it. He found her sitting on her bed once again. Except that this time she looked somewhat happier.

"You're not going to get one of your servants to do it?" she asked. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes.

"I don't have servants." Orihime looked surprised.

"But, Aizen explained about Fraccions and stuff. You don't have any?" she asked. Ulquiorra shook his head. _It's better not to bring Yammi into this..._

"Sorry, I know you wanted a professional job," he said, sadly looking up at her leaking ceiling.

"No, it's fine!" she insisted, standing back. Ulquiorra pulled up a chair and stood on it. He began duct taping plastic over the leak. Orihime watched him intently. He seemed to be struggling to do a proficient job, his normally blank facial expression shifting from discomfort, then to worry, then to anger, then to frustration. He was really too short to be doing the job, for his arms just barely reached the ceiling.

Then he began to tape the farthest corner of the plastic patch, which he had to kind of jump to reach. Orihime gasped.

"Watch out, Ulquiorra-san!" she warned, unsure of how to address him. It was too late, however, for Ulquiorra's chair toppled over, causing him to crash to the ground.

Orihime rushed over to him. He was sitting, unfazed, on the floor, cradling his left arm. Orihime gasped.

"What happened?" she asked. Ulquiorra seemed to be slightly shocked.

"I...did something to my arm," he stated. Orihime sat down beside him. She tried to grab his arm, but Ulquiorra snatched it back.

"It hurts," he explained. She looked at him worriedly and helped him to his feet.

"I'll heal it," she said.

"No," he snapped, pulling away from her. Orihime blinked.

"Why not?" she asked, confused. Ulquiorra looked away. He didn't want to look pathetic by having his hostage heal his injury, but he couldn't tell her that. It was a matter of pride.

"Aizen-sama...he wouldn't like you healing people you're not assigned to heal..." he lied, trailing off. Orihime looked sadly at Ulquiorra's trembling arm.

"Please, Ulquiorra-san...let me heal it. You shouldn't have to suffer," she pleaded, gently touching his arm. Ulquiorra winced.

"Fine," he relented, holding out his arm. She placed her hands over it, and it began to heal. When done, Ulquiorra held it up and clenched his fist.

"Thank you," he said, pulling his sleeve back down. She smiled.

"You're welcome, she said, putting her hands behind her back. Ulquiorra looked at her smiling face and felt his heart beat noticeably faster.

"Well, I fixed your ceiling..." he said, turning his back on her.

"Oh, yes! Thank you!" Orihime said gratefully.

"I...I should be going now, he muttered, heading for the door.

"Come back soon!" she called after him. Ulquiorra slowly closed her door, his face flushed. He covered his mouth with his hand, his face darkening a bit.

"She wants _me_ to come back _soon_..." he thought in disbelief.

"Why so red?" an amused voice said. Ulquiorra sighed, trying to hide his face.

"None of your business, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra replied, blushing more. Grimmjow smirked.

"Getting pretty close with the hostage, aren't you?" he asked snidely. Ulquiorra blinked.

"No..." he lied, walking away. Grimmjow frowned. Then, he smirked again.

"I'm gonna go talk to her," he said, walking over to Inoue's door. Ulquiorra froze. Grimmjow reached for the door knob.

"Stop, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra demanded.

"Why should I listen to you?" Grimmjow spat. Ulquiorra glared at him.

"If you don't, I will kill you," he threatened. Grimmjow stopped. He growled, and then quickly walked past Inoue's door and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra felt triumphant inside as he went to go get another dinner for Orihime.

He arrived at her door with the new meal shortly after. The kitchen had given him a lot more food for her than usual, probably left over from one of Aizen's big meetings. He looked up at the door in dismay- he had so much food that he had no free hand to open it or knock with. So, on instinct, he kicked it. To his horror, the door fell in, hitting the ground with a loud clunk.

"Orihime?" he yelled, her no where in sight.

"I'm...I'm under here..." a voice from under the door weakly said. Ulquiorra gasped, setting the tray down and rushing to her aide. He lifted the door and propped it in the doorway.

"Th-thanks..." Orihime said, smoothing her hair down. Ulquiorra nodded, and pointed to the tray of food on her table.

"Your new meal. Please don't knock it over," he said, walking over to her bed. Orihime sat at the table, and began to spoon the rice into her mouth.

He sat on the bed, watching her eating. Admiring her, really. She looked up at him bashfully.

"Is it satisfactory?" he asked, staring at the steaming plate she had before her. Orihime nodded. Then, she blushed.

"Have some," she offered, distributing a portion of the food to him on a large plate. His eyes widened.

"No thank you," he said.

"You don't like this kind?" she asked, looking at the rice and beans.

"It's not that..." Ulquiorra said.

"Then eat with me." Ulquiorra sighed and took the plate.

"This is good..." he said, eating the rice. "It's cooked perfectly". Orihime nodded. Then, she sadly looked out the window at the dark stormy sky.

"I wonder if Kurosaki-kun, Sado-kun, and Rukia-san..." she muttered. "...I wonder if they are eating well." Ulquiorra was silent. He had just recently defeated Ichigo Kurosaki, seen Rukia Kuchiki's body skewered upon a spear, and new that Nnoitra was supposed to have taken care of Yusatora Sado.

"Well, I'm leaving," he said, collecting their plates and placing them on the tray. Orihime sighed.

"I wish _I _could leave," she said. Ulquiorra turned.

"You can't," he said. She looked down.

"Don't...don't leave me here alone," she whispered. Ulquiorra stopped walking.

"Well, I do have nothing else to do," he replied, walking up to her bed and sitting down. He placed the tray on her night table.

"How long will I stay here?" Orihime asked.

"Forever," Ulquiorra answered, without hesitating. "Or until Aizen-sama no longer has use of you," he continued.

"I know Aizen told me why he was imprisoning me...but...you all feed me and provide a room. It's not like I'm a hostage," she said. Ulquiorra shrugged.

"I would think you'd like your own quarters," he said boredly.

"I do!" she exclaimed, turning more towards him. "Tell Aizen that I like it." Ulquiorra stood up.

"I will do just that," he said, leaving.

"I didn't mean right now..." she called after him, feeling very much alone.


	3. Distraction

**Sorry- this chapter is really short...I really have no idea where the plot is going (is there even one?) but I WILL UPDATE! I have thoroughly convinced myself that it must be finished! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! R&R, pls! **

* * *

Ulquiorra knocked on the huge brass door to Aizen's room.

"Come in, Ulquiorra," came his deep voice. Ulquiorra entered the room, bowing to Aizen who was, as usual, sitting in his large stone chair.

"Aizen-sama, I have a message from the hostage," he said.

"Let's hear it," Aizen replied.

"She says she enjoys the food and board. She says she does not feel like a prisoner," Ulquiorra stated. Aizen smiled. This was a completely meaningless visit from Ulquiorra. Still, it was cute to see him delivering messages from Orihime. It'd be best just to take it seriously. Aizen scowled.

"Only bring her a meal once a day then," he said. Ulquiorra was confused.

"Why?" he asked.

"We want her to feel more...uh...imprisoned," he explained, motioning to the door. A crack of thunder could be heard.

"Go," he said. Ulquiorra bowed and left.

So, for the next few days, Ulquiorra brought Inoue only one meal a day. One Wednesday, she noticed this.

"Ulquiorra-san...why do you only bring me one meal a day now?" she asked, picking up some sushi with her chopsticks. Ulquiorra hesitated.

"It...was on orders," he said truthfully. Orihime's face flushed.

"That's a lie, isn't it?" she asked in a high pitched voice.

"What? No," Ulquiorra said. Orihime blushed and then glared at him.

"You...you think I'm fat, don't you?" she yelled angrily.


	4. Serendipity

**Warning: Attempted rape; nothing big or graphic, but just know it's there. Don't like, don't read. R&R, pls.**

* * *

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock.

"Fat? You mean as in you have too much body mass?" he asked. Orihime nodded vigorously.

"That's what you think, isn't it?" she spat at him, daggers in her eyes. Ulquiorra could not understand why she was taking such an aggressive reaction to her assumption.

"You are not fat- I read your physical when you came here. You're perfectly within the weight range you should be," he explained, removing the cloth that was resting over her meal. "Now eat…woman." Orihime was not fully convinced.

"Really?" she asked, desperation in her voice. Ulquiorra nodded.

"You are not fat," he assured her. "You are perfect." A small blush graced Orihime's cheeks.

"You think I'm perfect?" she asked, smiling up at him. Taken aback that he had said that out loud, Ulquiorra quickly changed the subject.

"Eat your meal," he said, flustered. Orihime shrugged, and started to eat the takoyaki he had brought her.

"The kitchen had to provide catering for Aizen-sama today…they apologize that the meal isn't much," Ulquiorra explained. Orihime nodded.

"Tell them that it's fine, please," she said between bites. Ulquiorra stood up.

"Er…but…uh, not now," she continued, remembering last time she had given him a message. Ulquiorra sat back down, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I trust that you still don't enjoy it here," Ulquiorra said- it wasn't really a question.

"I'm…warming up to it, I guess you could say," she answered, looking down at her now empty plate. "I'd still rather go home, though."

The side of Ulquiorra's mouth twitched.

"What brought about these new feelings?" he asked.

"Well…there are some nice people here." Ulquiorra made a retching noise. Orihime looked up at him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nice? Who? You can't mean anyone _here_…" he said, closely studying her face. She wore a tired expression.

"_You're _nice, Ulquiorra-san," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Really? When have I been nice?" he asked, talking more to himself than Orihime.

"You helped patch my ceiling even though you were too…erm, not tall enough," Orihime pointed out. Ulquiorra nodded.

"You're a good person, Ulquiorra-san. You're the kind of person someone can trust. The kind of person someone wants the approval of."

"Trust? Approval?" Ulquiorra asked in shock. "Those words do not describe me."

"They do. You're the kind of person someone would want to learn more about". Ulquiorra thought for a moment.

"You want to learn more about me?" he asked, bewildered. Orihime beamed up at him.

"Yes!" she said, sitting up straighter on her couch. Ulquiorra sat down next to her.

"What do you want to know?" he asked. Orihime was silent. You could hear faint yelling (no doubt Grimmjow) from the hallway.

"What's your dream?" she asked the Espada. Ulquiorra froze. Dream…? He had nothing of the sort. He barely ever slept, for God's sake. But then an impulse he'd had for a long time filled his brain.

"I don't have dreams. But I do have goals," he started. "One day…it'd be nice to leave Las Noches." Orihime's eyes widened. "To leave and never come back," he added. Serving Aizen-sama, putting up with Grimmjow, tolerating the other arrancar, staying calm, cool and collected for the rest of his life- it was simply not something he could keep up for all eternity.

"When you go…take me with you," Orihime said, gripping his arm. Still thinking about whether he should have told her about one of his inner desires or not, he turned and looked at her sweet, smiling face. He could feel his face flush.

He stood up and awkwardly headed for the door he had kicked in earlier.

"I…um…have to go now," he told her, still walking. "I…there's an important meeting soon, I should get ready." Then he felt something hard collide with his head. Not thinking, he kept walking but found he couldn't. He had run into the wall. Orihime was still sitting on her bed looking at him curiously, trying to suppress a laugh. Flustered and red, Ulquiorra muttered some negative words about opaque walls and left in a hurry.

Orihime giggled to herself. "Perfect…" she thought, reflecting on what he had told her earlier. "I'll have to remember_ that_…"

It was nearly one in the morning. It didn't matter that it was always night. Ulquiorra could feel it. He was lying in his bed, trying to sleep, but he just…couldn't. Something wasn't right. Frowning (more than usual), he turned over on his side and stared at his door. He sighed…maybe he was more human than he thought.

Meanwhile, Orihime was pleasantly sleeping in her quarters, the soft moonlight spilling from her window and onto her resting figure. She was sleeping so peacefully that she didn't notice the handle on her door turn; nor did she hear the intruder slink in the room. The Espada walked over to her, his hands held up in front of himself. He smiled a big, toothy grin and grabbed her left shoulder, forcing her to face him. She stirred, her eyes flickering open.

"N-Nnoitra?" she asked. Suddenly, Nnoitra seized her by the shoulders and crushed his lips on hers, pressing her into the couch. Realization dawned on Orihime as the gangly arrancar began to unzip her top, his other hand still pinning her down.

"Not so active at night, eh, Pet-sama?" he chuckled, fully removing her shirt and tossing it to the side. He then started at her hakama pants. Orihime screamed, but Nnoitra's hand clasped itself over her mouth.

"Shut _up_! Don't make this harder than it has to be, 'kay?" he said in her ear.

_This can't be happening; this isn't happening…_she thought frantically. She should've known something like this would've happened sooner or later. Just when Nnoitra was almost done with her pants, her door flung open. Light illuminated into the room. Although her eyes were groggy, and the light was blinding, Orihime could see who it was. Ulquiorra; her savior.

Nnoitra hissed in detest; Ulquiorra quickly strode over to the taller Espada.

"Get away from her," he growled, his voice much fiercer than she'd ever heard it before- even fiercer than when she had knocked over her meal.

Nnoitra smiled. "And if I refuse?" he asked, stroking Orihime's hair with his hand. Orihime shivered. Ulquiorra grabbed Nnoitra's wrist. The horrible cracking noise of breaking bones could be heard throughout the room.

"That will happen to your head," Ulquiorra threatened. Nnoitra wasn't scared, however.

"Humph. That actually kind of hurt, you bastard," he snarled, glaring at Ulquiorra's face. It was like his determined expression was set in stone.

"I don't want to fight you, Nnoitra. Get out," Ulquiorra continued. Nnoitra glanced from Ulquiorra to Orihime then frowned.

"Fine," he muttered, slowly walking to the exit. "I'll be back".

When he left, Ulquiorra sighed, relief washing over him. Orihime was covering herself up on her couch, shivering. He couldn't tell if it was from fear or cold.

He quickly stripped off his jacket and handed it to Orihime.

"Put this on," he muttered. He felt a tingle run up his spine- it was indeed cold in the room. But more from atmosphere than temperature. She slipped it on- her shivering stopped immediately.

"I don't know how I could ever thank-"

"Don't thank me," Ulquiorra interrupted her. "It's my duty as your guardian." Orihime's face fell.

"Oh. So that's it," she muttered so that no one could hear. Ulquiorra did hear, however.

"It's also my duty as the only one 'nice' to you," he continued. Orihime smiled. Ulquiorra could feel his face tingle a bit. Why, he did not know.

"You know how I said that you were someone people wanted the approval of?" she asked, standing up and walking over to the arrancar.

"Yes…" Ulquiorra answered mechanically, not sure where this was going.

"Can I have your approval for something?"

"Certainly."

"Can I kiss you?" Ulquiorra's quick breathing stopped. The world seemed to stop. Then he inhaled again, and motion returned to his life.

"Approved," he stated, anxiously waiting for what would happen next.

Orihime gently pressed her lips to his own. He immediately kissed back. It felt much better than he thought it would; her lips were so soft. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him harder. His tongue licked her bottom lip, and she parted them, allowing his tongue to explore the wet cavern that was her mouth. After a while, the two parted, both very red. Ulquiorra was first to speak.

"I'll…uh…be sure that the kitchen makes you a nice breakfast tomorrow," he said, turning to leave.

"Three meals a day again?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra nodded.

"Three meals a day again," he repeated. "Sleep well."

He started out the door, but felt a reluctant presence leave with him. He turned around, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Don't go. What if Nnoitra comes back?" she whispered. Ulquiorra could tell that she was truly worried. Her endless grey eyes were quivering with fear.

"Let me go get another shirt then," he relented, turning back again.

"No! He might come back during that time!" she yelled after him. "Please…please stay with me." Ulquiorra hesitated. Was he really able to just _stay _here? She did truly look worried, however. Sighing, he walked over to her couch and sat down. She lay down, her orange hair hanging off the cushion and almost touching the floor. Ulquiorra's mouth curled up into a tiny smile.

After about six minutes or so, she was asleep. He could tell; her reiatsu was much less active. He absent mindedly ran his fingers through her hair. It was like fine silk. The moonlight poured onto her and made her skin snow white; it much resembled his own. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. He wasn't sure he liked the thought of Nnoitra coming in and finding him sleeping…a chill ran up his spine. He stayed loyally guarding her until shuffling could be heard in the hallway and he knew it was morning.

* * *

**So...I hope you liked it. I thought it moved a little fast, but it's okay. Sniff...poor Nnoitra. He's always the enemy. R&R, please!**


	5. Void

**This chap. is kind of short, too...I had one that was longer but was an idiot and accidentally saved something over it *sigh*so I just wrote this to compensate. It's mostly filler, but, here ya go. R&R, pls.**

* * *

Stirring, Orihime's eyes fluttered open. It was weird to wake up in a place where it was always night. She was so used to the sun always beating down at her through her window. Instead, the cool light of the moon shone down.

"But where does the moon get light if there is no sun?" she asked herself. She yawned and then looked up.

"Good morning," came Ulquiorra's familiar voice. She rubbed her eyes and saw his apathetic face staring down at her contentedly.

"You stayed!" she exclaimed, amazed that he didn't sneak off in the middle of the night. In fact, he had stayed in exactly the same position as he had been in before she fell asleep.

He stood up and stretched a bit, his toned muscles flexing under his pale skin. Orihime noticed that she was still wearing Ulquiorra's jacket, her top discarded on the ground nearby.

"I'll be right back," Ulquiorra said, exiting the room. Orihime watched him leave, slipping out of Ulquiorra's jacket and into her own shirt.

She examined the jacket, all the way from the mandarin collar to the long coat tails. She inhaled the scent- it smelled like lavender detergent. She ran her hands up and down the material. It was soft, though it didn't look like it should be. However, neither did Ulquiorra. She continued to investigate the jacket until her thoughts were interrupted.

"Why are you molesting my jacket?" came a voice from the doorway. Ulquiorra walked in, clad in a new shirt, holding a tray brimming with food.

"Breakfast," he said, setting it down on her only table. She looked at the pile of food stacked up on the tray.

"They really gave me a lot," she noted."The chef thought that we could share it," he explained, placing a fork and napkin in front of her. Orihime put some eggs on her plate and began to eat them. Several awkward minutes passed. Ulquiorra just sat there, expressionless, watching her eat.

"Do you want some?" she asked him, holding up the plate. He shook his head.

"Are you sure? You look hungry." Ulquiorra frowned and reluctantly took the plate.

"And what do you call these?" he asked, picking up some eggs with his fork.

"Eggs," Orihime said. "They're an American food." Ulquiorra slowly stuck the fork into his mouth. His eyes widened.

"These aren't terrible," he said, surprised.

"And that's a victory or something?" she asked. He continued to eat the eggs and soon he had finished the plate.

"I was going to eat those…" Orihime said, taking her now empty plate back. Ulquiorra then leaned over and kissed her, allowing her tongue to enter his mouth. It was a rare occurrence for her, and she took advantage of it. Slightly embarassed, Ulquiorra pulled away.

"Now you can taste the eggs, right?" he said, putting some pancakes on her plate. Orihime sighed. Ulquiorra didn't taste like eggs- he tasted like himself, which tasted like spearmint and menthol. It was good enough for her, though. Suddenly Orihime's door flung open. Stark walked in, wearing a grim expression.

"I thought I'd find you here," he said, staring at Ulquiorra. "Come; Aizen-sama has requested the audience of all the Espada".

"Why?" Ulquiorra asked, standing up, the plate of pancakes clattering to the ground.

"Apparently one of Inoue's hakama has breached our walls…and killed Barragan," Stark replied, waving his hand in the air.

"What's their name?" Ulquiorra asked, walking over to Stark.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he answered. Orihime's eyes widened.

"Kurosaki-kun…" she said softly. Did he come to save her…?

Ulquiorra nodded, following Stark out the door.

"Stay here," he ordered Orihime. "Please."

Soon he and the other Espada were out of sight, leaving Orihime very much alone.

"Kurosaki-kun is here in Las Noches?" she thought wildly, pacing in her quarters. "He killed an Espada? What are they going to do to him? Are they going to hurt him…to kill him?"

Stark had made it apparent that it was a problem for Aizen. He probably would be executed if found. That was not something she wanted. Why did he have to come looking for her…?

Suddenly, she heard a sharp 'rap' on her window. She looked up and rushed over, peering out.

"Who's there?" she called. It was strange- she could not feel any reiatsu present, yet she knew someone was there. Her door slowly creaked open and the intruder stepped in, putting his finger to his lips.

"Long time no see," he said, stepping into the light of the moon. Orihime had lost all ability to speak. The intruder smiled a wide, toothy grin.

"I bet you wish it was longer," Nnoitra said, advancing towards her.

* * *

**See what I mean? There's an actual story in the next chapter...**


	6. Savior

**This is shortish, too...they'll get longer! I promise! R&R, please...oh, and thanks so much to the people who take the time to review! It really makes me happy. (and thanks to those who just read it)**

* * *

Orihime's first instinct was to scream, but she couldn't. The best thing she could do right now was to stand her ground.

"How did you hide your reiatsu?" she asked Nnoitra. The gangly Espada leered at her.

"It's just something I developed along the path of life…" he explained, advancing towards her.

"Don't come any closer," she warned. She knew that she could never defeat Nnoitra. She couldn't touch the tenth Espada that time she had first seen Ulquiorra…how could she even hope to defeat the fifth?

Hope was all she had right now. Nnoitra smiled his big, toothy smile.

"Hey now, I'm not gonna _do _anything to ya. The earlier night, that was a dare from Szayel," he said, still walking closer. Orihime didn't believe a word he said.

"That'll be a promise if you fill me in about this Kurosaki guy," he continued. Orihime let her guard down for a minute. He wanted to know about Kurosaki-kun? Why did _he_ care?

During those few seconds where she allowed her mind to wander, Nnoitra had already rushed up behind her and put her in a headlock.

"Let me go!" she screamed. Nnoitra merely smiled wider, tightening his grip. Orihime struggled against his hold, but nothing she did made a difference.

"Tell me about Kurosaki," he repeated. Orihime glared up at him.

"Why do you want to know?" she spat. Nnoitra's smile faded.

"That's none of your business, women. Now tell me."

"That's none of _your _business." Nnoitra growled. He tightened his grip further. Orihime's vision began to fade out; she needed air.

"Answer me, dammit!" Nnoitra yelled, throwing Orihime to the ground. She clutched her throat, regaining the ability to breathe.

"No!" she said, a bruise forming on her cheek. "You won't touch Kurosaki-kun!" Just then, Orihime's door swung open.

"Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked, squinting at the light. Instead of the fair skinned arrancar, in stepped Sousuke Aizen.

"What are you doing, Nnoitra?" he asked. He gave a small nod to Orihime. Nnoitra looked too surprised to answer. "Are you not aware that all Espada were ordered to the meeting hall?"

"Y-yes…" Nnoitra managed out, unable to look Aizen in the eye.

"Do you not consider yourself among those ranks anymore?" Aizen continued unblinkingly.

"I do consider myself of those ranks, _sir_," Nnoitra replied.

"Than I suggest that you join us. We're all waiting on you." Nnoitra nodded, and quickly followed Aizen out the door. Orihime sighed once she was sure that they were gone. She never thought that she could be so grateful to Aizen.

She immediately stood up- another rap had been heard on her window.

Standing her ground, she cautiously approached it.

"Hello?" she called softly. She stumbled back from the window as a familiar face faced her own.

"K-Kurosaki-kun?" she sputtered. No doubt, it was him. He smiled his knowing smile and nodded.

"Don't worry- I'm going to save you," he mouthed. Before Orihime could say anything, her door swung open again. Ichigo immediately ducked.

Ulquiorra walked in, looking quite apologetic.

"Nnoitra came to 'talk to you,' didn't he?" he asked. Orihime nodded.

"He didn't hurt me, though," she said, covering up the bruise on her face with her hair.

"I suppose you're worried about Kurosaki Ichigo," Ulquiorra said. Orihime nodded; there was no use lying to him.

"We're not supposed to kill him of we find him," Ulquiorra continued. "He will be handed over to Aizen-sama." Orihime bit her lip- that wasn't much better. She hoped Ulquiorra couldn't sense his presence.

The pale arrancar then leaned down and lightly kissed her on the forehead.

"Don't be worried," he said. And with that, he left the room, looking quite pleased with himself. Ichigo reemerged, scowling.

"Why was he so friendly with you?" he asked, sounding very annoyed.

Orihime shrugged.

"You have to go back!" she yelled, just realizing their predicament. "You can't let any of them find you!" They both knew who she meant by "them".

Ichigo shook his head.

"I'm gonna bring you home," Ichigo said. "Just wait here until I get inside."

Orihime began to protest, but by the time any words came out, he was gone.


	7. Tabescent

Ulquiorra frowned, rubbing his temples as he watched Orihime eat. It had been two days since Ichigo had told Orihime he would come get her and nobody knew of his whereabouts…yet.

"And you're absolutely sure that he hasn't tried to contact you in anyway?" Ulquiorra asked. Orihime sighed; he had been asking questions all day.

"Yes," she lied mechanically. It sounded so fake. She didn't like lying to anyone- especially not Ulquiorra, as they had developed such a close relationship.

"Then why are you acting like a mental patient?" he snapped, glaring at her. Orihime cringed. She had indeed been acting strange ever since Kurosaki had shown up at her window.

"I'm not acting like a mental patient," she said. "I don't understand why you're so worked up about finding Kurosaki-kun." Ulquiorra's face softened.

"I just…don't want him taking you back," he admitted awkwardly. Orihime smiled. Of course, she didn't understand why she didn't want any of Aizen's army to find Kurosaki. Wasn't she content here with Ulquiorra? Wasn't Las Noches her home now?

"You're letting him control your life," a small voice in the back of her head whispered.

"If he finds you…" he started quietly, "Please don't go." Orihime's eyes widened. She looked at him questioningly.

"I have a plan," he said, as if reading her mind.

"What's your 'plan'?" she asked. Ulquiorra shook his head.

"I can't tell you," he said, standing up. "There will be a meeting soon. I should probably go." Orihime waved goodbye as he started for the door.

"Stay safe," he added before leaving. The door closed with a loud thud.

Orihime slammed her head into her pillow, silently punishing herself. What was wrong with her? She didn't even know if there was a problem…

Ulquiorra quickly walked down the halls of Las Noches to his quarters, glancing over his shoulder every once in a while.

He had lied about the meeting. He was, as usual, going to search for Kurosaki. He could not stand the thought of someone lurking around his home looking for his woman. _His_ woman. He beamed at the words, knowing that they were not necessarily true. But hadn't they kissed? Wasn't that a strong sign of affection? He shook his head.

That wasn't important right now. What was important was ensuring the safety of everyone in Las Noches, especially Orihime. And that could be done by finding Kurosaki.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the hallway. Ulquiorra looked in the direction it was coming from, completely alert.

Szayel was sprinting down the hall, Grimmjow chasing after him. He looked absolutely livid. Coming to a halt at Ulquiorra's feet, Szayel looked up at him and smiled.

"Hello, Cuatro Espada- Aizen-sama has a-" Suddenly, Szayel's smile was replaced with a look of pain. Grimmjow had crashed into him, knocking him over. Szayel had grabbed Ulquiorra for balance, causing him to tumble down as well. He shoved Szayel off of him, glaring at Grimmjow.

"What?" the sixth Espada yelled. "He tried to experiment on me in my sleep!"

Szayel suddenly nudged Grimmjow in the ribs, gawking at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra stood up, smoothing down his hair.

"What were you saying, Szayel?" he asked. Szayel smirked.

"Aizen-sama wants to see you," he said coolly. Grimmjow was smiling as well. Frowning at the two's satisfied expressions, he nodded and started for Aizen's chamber. Szayel snickered as he walked past him, both him and Grimmjow staring at what he had left behind.

* * *

"Something isn't _right,_" he thought, quickly walking down the hallway once again. He felt different, like something was missing. Sighing, he knocked on Aizen's door.

"Enter," came his deep voice. He slowly walked in, careful not to slam the door. Aizen looked quite surprised to see him, even though he had summoned him.

"Um…Ulquiorra," he began awkwardly. Ulquiorra bowed obediently.

"What do you wish to ask of me, Aizen-sama?" he asked respectfully.

"Well…I wanted to know if you had any leads on where Kurosaki Ichigo could be." Ulquiorra shook his head.

"Sadly, no," he answered. Aizen looked at him skeptically.

"You asked the hostage about it, right?" he asked.

"I did ask _Orihime_," Ulquiorra replied. "She said she didn't know anything about it."

"Okay…well, good luck with that," Aizen muttered, still staring at Ulquiorra.

"You may go now." Ulquiorra nodded, and started for the door.

"By the way, Ulquiorra" ,Aizen added as he stepped out the door. "Do you realize that you're not wearing pants?"

Ulquiorra froze. Mortified, he looked down. In place of his pants were his green boxers. Szayel must have accidentally pulled off his pants when they fell.

At a loss for words, he soundlessly slipped out of the room and sprinted down the hallway. Aizen chuckled, sipping his tea.

Once his pants had been retrieved, he made his way back to Orihime's room. He slowly opened the door, trying not to make much noise. She should be asleep, for it was nearly one in the morning.

He could not feel her reiatsu when he entered.

"Orihime?" he called quietly. No response.

"Orihime!" he repeated more loudly. Still nothing. He turned on the light, desperately looking around the room. There was no doubt about it- Orihime was not there.

He rushed down the hallway, stopping at a large, white door. He pounded on it, his breathing heavy. Stark answered it, looking very perturbed.

"What? What could you possibly want at this hour?" he asked.

"Why aren't you in your night clothes?" Ulquiorra asked. Stark sighed.

"I just got back from a…mission," he replied, yawning.

"What kind of mission?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Stark questioned, raising an eyebrow. Ulquiorra sighed.

"Where's Orihime?" he asked. Stark said nothing.

"You know about that?"

"Where _is_ she?!" Ulquiorra yelled, taking a step forward.

"She's gone," Stark replied. Ulquiorra froze.

"That's what our mission had been about. We were trying to track her and the captor down," Stark continued. Ulquiorra was silent. Stark went into his domain and came out holding a white garment.

"This is what we found," he said. It was Orihime's shirt. Ulquiorra took it from him.

"Do you have any leads?" he asked, folding up the shirt.

"Well, we know that they were headed east," Stark said. "They're probably out of Las Noches by now." Ulquiorra's eyes seemed to dull a shade.

"Also, we know that Kurosaki Ichigo was not her captor."

* * *

**I personally hate this chapter. That's why I couldn't put this at the top...sob. I mean, Ulquiorra losing his pants?! Wtf? Well, I hope you enjoy it. R&R. , and my sister really wanted me to put this sentence somewhere:**

**"Man, Aizen is always **_**trippin**_**'!" Nnoitra yelled, banging his fist on the wall. Thanks so much to all the people who read and review this story. I love you all.**


	8. Reciprocative

Orihime slowly opened her eyes; a light breeze blew around her. She sat up, stretching. She looked down- she wasn't wearing her usual white outfit. She was dressed in her school uniform.

"Good morning, Princess," a familiar voice said. Looking around, she saw who had spoken.

"Ulquiorra-san?" she asked. Indeed, Ulquiorra was sitting down beside her, running his fingers through her hair.

They were sitting in a meadow, pink flowers swaying in the breeze. Ulquiorra leaned over and gently kissed her on the forehead. His touch made her shiver- he was surprisingly cold.

"I hope you slept well," he said, lying down and staring up at the moving clouds in the cerulean sky.

"Where are we?" Orihime asked, lying down as well.

"We're in your world," he answered, flipping onto his side so that he could face her.

"My world?" she asked. Suddenly, the breeze stopped. All the flowers in the meadow wilted. Large, black clouds rolled in the sky and rain began pelting down. A huge crack of thunder echoed through the now hellish meadow.

"Ulquiorra-san! What happened?" she asked, turning to the Espada. He said nothing. Nor did he move.

"Ulquiorra-san?" she asked, reaching up to touch his face. He felt like stone, his expression still the same as when he had laid down. It was as if he had become a statue. She flung her arms around him, rain bouncing off his stony body. He began to crumble away at her touch. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she immediately let go of him. He continued to crumble, however.

"Don't go, Ulquiorra-san!" Orihime cried.

"Don't cry," his voice said, emanating from behind her. She turned around. Nobody was there. There was no trace of Ulquiorra- his stone remains had blown away in the violent wind. She was alone.

* * *

"I think she's having a nightmare…wake her up," Rukia demanded, watching Orihime toss and turn. Renji nodded, walking over to Orihime and shaking her by the shoulder.

Orihime's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Rukia in confusion.

"Where are we?" she asked, sitting up.

"Around the perimeter of Las Noches," Rukia answered, fiddling with her sword's hilt.

"Kuchiki-san! Abarai-kun! Why are you here?" Orihime asked.

"To rescue you, of course. I guess we beat Ichigo to it," Rukia replied.

"Yeah, that idiot went off on his own," Renji added, sitting down.

Orihime's face sank.

"Kurosaki-kun isn't with you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Renji shook his head.

"We don't know where he is," he said. Rukia nodded in agreement.

"I hope he hasn't gotten himself killed," she said, taking a bite out of the sudachi she was holding.

"You have to take me back," Orihime said quietly.

"Furthermore…_what_?!" Rukia continued, spitting some fruit out. "You want to go back? You can't be serious!"

"I am. You have to take me back," Orihime repeated. Renji stood up.

"No", he said. "We went through all of this trouble just to find you. We're taking you back to earth." Rukia looked at Orihime ruefully.

"You're confused, Orihime. You probably haven't been fed, and deprived of sleep-"

"No! I'm fine! They fed me! _He_ fed me! That's why I have to go back!" Orihime interrupted, standing up as well. Rukia's eyes narrowed.

"You're not going back," she said coldly. Orihime took a step back in disbelief. Had Kuchiki-san always been so unreasonable?

Orihime acted on instinct and ran- Las Noches was close by, and she was confident that she could make it on foot. Renji started to chase after her, but Rukia held him back.

"Let her go. She won't get far," she said. "She'll get hungry and come back to us. Besides, how would she even get _in_ the castle?"

Renji nodded and sat down.

* * *

"You're right," he agreed, watching Orihime running across the desert.

Ulquiorra paced the hallway outside of Orihime's room, stopping every now and then to listen for a sound.

"Not Kurosaki? Then who?" he thought, his pacing slowing to a stop. He thought he had heard something. Then, he heard it again- a soft, clunking sound.

Without a shred of hesitation, he flung open Orihime's door and stepped in. To his surprise, it was empty. Sighing, he started out the room.

As he stepped into the hallway, he could feel that something was different. He was not alone.

"Who's here?" he called. His words bounced around the walls.

"Where's Inoue?" a voice answered. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. He knew that voice.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he hissed. "Where are you?"

"Behind you," Ichigo said. Ulquiorra immediately turned around. Ichigo was indeed standing there, his clothes torn up and his face covered in cuts.

"Where's Inoue?" he repeated. Ulquiorra frowned.

"You don't know? She was probably whisked away by one of your nakama," he replied.

"You're hiding her from me!" Ichigo yelled. "Where is she?!"

"I do not know," Ulquiorra replied. "She was kidnapped before you got here."

"Yeah, by you. You're the one that brought her to Las Noches," Ichigo spat at him. Ulquiorra sighed. This was true. He did, ultimately, bring her to Hueco Mundo against her free will. If she was happy that she was taken away from her prison, then he would have to live with it.

"Would you like to come with me?" he asked Ichigo. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"To come find Orihime", Ulquiorra answered, stepping forward. Ichigo glared at him.

"I don't need your help," he said, turning around. Ulquiorra shrugged.

"I would want help if I were you," he said. Ichigo smirked.

"First one to find her wins," he declared.

"Wins what?" Ulquiorra asked.

"What do you _think_?" Still smirking, Ichigo began to run down the hall and out of sight.

"I've won, then," Ulquiorra said to himself, sitting down on Orihime's couch. He had seen her running towards the castle.

* * *

**Sorry if this chap. kinda sucked. I have reasons! Not good ones, though...R&R, please. **


	9. Dissolution

"Maybe I should of thought about this first…" Orihime said to herself. She was staring up at the huge walls of Las Noches. They seemed so impenetrable.

"How am I supposed to get in?" she said aloud. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept past her. She felt a familiar reiatsu.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she yelled. The reiatsu faded, however…

"Idiot," came an easily recognizable voice from behind her. She turned around, holding her breath.

"He didn't even realize that you were there," the voice said, clearly disappointed. "I expected more of him."

"Ulquiorra-san!" Orihime exclaimed, rushing up to the fourth Espada and flinging her arms around his neck. A small smile crept up on his lips.

"Why so excited?" he asked as she let go of him. "You thought that I wouldn't come looking for you?"

"Something like that," Orihime said sarcastically. She looked up at the huge castle.

"How do you even get _in_?" she asked. Ulquiorra motioned for her to come closer.

"Get on my back," he said, turning around so that his back was facing her.

"What?" she asked with such a quizzical expression that it caused Ulquiorra to chuckle.

"I'll take you to the entrance. You did ask how to get in, did you not?" he reminded her. Orihime hesitated.

"Orihime, we don't have all day. If you don't make up your mind, I'll just throw you over my shoulder."

Orihime jumped on his back, securely wrapping her arms around his neck.

Ulquiorra hoisted her up and they began their trek to the entrance.

She was worried that she would be too heavy for Ulquiorra, but he walked as swiftly and fluidly as if he were pacing the halls of Las Noches.

"Who kidnapped you?" Ulquiorra asked.

"If I tell you, you won't hurt them…right?" Orihime asked in return.

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment debating an answer to the question.

"It depends…" he finally said.

"Depends on what, Ulquiorra-san?"

"On whether they're rescuing you based on your safety or for their own reasons," he replied in a grim tone, immediately thinking of Kurosaki.

"My safety, of course!" Orihime exclaimed, surprised that Ulquiorra would even suggest such a thing. "What would they even have to gain?"

"Pissing me off…" Ulquiorra grumbled.

"Why would Kurosaki-kun want to do that, Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime asked, curiosity dripping in her voice.

"Because," he breathed, "Your Kurosaki-kun is apparently my rival."

"Oh," she said, thinking that he meant they were rivals because of Kurosaki's well known distaste for arrancar, and Ulquiorra's frank opinions of shinigami. Ulquiorra shook his head and then stopped, letting Orihime off him.

"What is it?" she asked, confused as to why he had stopped.

"We're here," he replied simply, walking up to the blank stretch of wall in front of them. Orihime stared at it, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

"How do we get in?" she asked. Ulquiorra picked her up once more, holding her bridal style.

"Close your eyes," he ordered. She did as she was told, and then hung on to Ulquiorra for dear life.

They were moving at a very fast pace- Orihime could feel an odd swooping sensation in her stomach.

"Open your eyes," came Ulquiorra's deep voice. Orihime did, and they were back in her room. It looked as though nothing had changed. Ulquiorra gently let her down.

"How did you do that?" Orihime asked, trying to keep her balance- even though Ulquiorra had stopped moving, it still felt like they were in motion.

"That, I'm afraid, I cannot tell you," he replied, sitting down comfortably on her couch.

"Your friends…" he continued. "They will come looking for you again, won't they?" Orihime nodded. Renji and Rukia were not the type to give up. Nor was Kurosaki-kun.

Suddenly, he slipped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to hers. She immediately kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck. They broke apart. Orihime blushed wildly, looking over at to see Ulquiorra's expression. Much to her surprise, his face wore a sad look.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asked.

"I'm trying not to get attached," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Attached? To what? Why not?"

"It's all part of the plan, Orihime…"

* * *

Ichigo was aimlessly wandering around Hueco Mundo; he couldn't sense Orihime anywhere. He did, however, sense other people…

"Ichigo," Rukia said, Renji following her closely. Ichigo's face hardened as they approached him.

"Did you find Orihime?" Renji asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"We had found her at one point, but she insisted on going back," Rukia explained. "We refused to take her, so she left on her own."

"I…talked to her," Ichigo said defensively. Rukia frowned.

"Yes, but that's not enough," she said. Renji nodded in agreement.

"What are we going to tell _him_?" he asked. Ichigo smirked.

"I'm not scared of him," he said proudly, sticking out his chest. Rukia sighed.

"_You_ may not be, but _we_ are," she said, pulling out her zanpakuto. Ichigo's eyes widened in horror.

"Why are you taking that out?" he asked, backing away.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo," she said, gripping her zanpakuto and thrusting it into Ichigo's chest. Blood spurted from his mouth and he fell to the ground, dead.

* * *

**ranDom toasTer helped me write this because I have writers block. thanks so much, veronica! i seem to be putting comments and stuff on the bottom...it's probably because im ashamed! idk why. **

**"**_**Bang bang. **_**Ulquiorra's gun was out of bullets." How's **_**that**_** for a story opener, eh? thanks, niichan. R&R, please!!**


	10. Seraph

**Wow, ten chapters! That's an accomplishment for me. Thanks so much for all the reviews! (Still R&R, please!)**

* * *

Renji frowned, turning Ichigo's body over so that his front would be facing the ground.

"Did you have to kill him? It wasn't necessary," he said. Rukia sighed. She returned her bloody blade back to it's holder.

"If I didn't, someone else would have," she explained, sadly looking down at Kurosaki's body. Renji shrugged.

"What now?" he asked. Rukia pulled a long list out of her shirt and unrolled it- it fell to the ground and past her feet. She squinted at the small handwriting sprawled across it.

"Well, there are a lot of people to kill…" she started. "We better break into Las Noches today." Renji nodded, and the two shinigami started towards the large castle.

* * *

Ulquiorra looked up from his book. He frowned. Orihime stirred as well next to him- he had decided to stay with her while she slept again.

He furrowed his brows and sat up straighter, looking around. Something didn't feel right. He waited, listening. All he could hear was silence and the grumbling of Grimmjow, who could never seem to sleep at night. He relaxed again, turning back to his book. It was about some vampire named Edward and his newfound love for a human named Bella. Orihime recommended it. He didn't care for it much; he didn't really know what a vampire was, and found the plot to be clichéd. Still, there wasn't much else to do.

After about two more chapters of reading, he heard much more movement in the hallway and knew it was morning. He gently shook Orihime's shoulder, attempting to wake her. Her eyes flickered open and she stretched, yawning.

"What happened last night?" she asked, her eyes wide. Ulquiorra gave her a quizzical look.

"What do you mean? You fell asleep, and I read your book," he reminded her. She frowned.

"Weird. I could've sworn something important happened…I must have had a dream about it."

Ulquiorra stood up. He started for the door, and then looked back out over his shoulder.

"I'll go get your breakfast," he said, exiting.

"Wait!" Orihime called. He stopped and looked back at her.

"I'm not really hungry, if that's okay," she admitted.

"Of course," Ulquiorra said, not moving. No one said anything for about two minutes. Orihime fidgeted under his stare, until finally, she stood up.

"I'm going to look around, if that's okay", she said, walking over to him and the door.

"You're not going to see much," he warned, moving aside so that she could leave. "You've seen practically all of it."

"I haven't seen your room," she reminded him. He frowned. He followed her out the door.

"You can, if you want," he said, starting down the hallway. She eagerly followed him. They walked silently for a while until Ulquiorra turned and reached for the handle of a small white door at the end of the hallway. The door was much smaller than any of the doors that lead to the other Espada's quarters.

He sighed and turned around. Seeing Orihime's face, his eyes widened and he backed up a bit.

"What? What is it?" she asked, alarmed.

"I didn't know that you had followed me," he admitted. She gave him a confused look.

"I had some things on my mind, so I didn't sense your presence," he explained. Her expression did not falter.

"But…weren't you leading me to your room? Isn't this your room?" she asked, pointing to the barely opened door.

"No. This is the bathroom," Ulquiorra said blankly.

"You live in a bathroom?" she asked confusedly. Ulquiorra shook his head. Orihime could feel her face get a little warmer as realization dawned on her.

"Oh. Sorry," she said, turning to leave. She quickly walked back to her room.

* * *

After a while, he entered her room. She stood up and walked over to him.

"Can we go to your room now?" she asked. He nodded and left the room. She ran to catch up with his fast-paced walking. Soon they were walking side by side.

"It's not a bathroom, is it?" she asked playfully. Without warning, Ulquiorra reached out and grabbed her hand. Orihime looked down in surprise.

"Ulquiorra-san?" she asked.

"Yes?" Ulquiorra answered, slowing his pace so that she wouldn't have to walk so fast to catch up with him.

"You're holding my hand."

"So it seems." After waiting for him to say something else, Orihime decided to change the topic of conversation.

"Have you heard about Kurosaki-kun lately?" she asked. Ulquiorra's face tensed from remembering their last encounter.

"No," he replied stiffly.

"Oh," Orihime said, looking down. Ulquiorra abruptly stopped, taking a key out of his pocket. He inserted it into the handle of a tall door on their left- it swung open just from him inserting it.

The two stepped in- it was dark except for a faint glow illuminating from the corner. Ulquiorra turned on the overhead light. The room was revealed to be very similar to hers, except much bigger. A huge window took up one of the walls, allowing a perfect view of the moon.

"It's breathtaking," Orihime admitted, looking at the moon.

"I know," Ulquiorra said, walking over to his couch. He sat down. She turned to observe the opposite side of the room and was surprised to find something that looked like speakers.

"Ulquiorra-san, is that a stereo system?" she asked. Ulquiorra nodded.

"Where did you get one of _those_?" she continued, going over to examine it. There was a jubilee of CDs piled nearby.

"We're not living in the past here," Ulquiorra said. "Aizen-sama obtained it for me from earth."

"You like music?" she asked. He nodded again. She picked out a blue CD from the pile.

"May I…?" Orihime asked, looking from the CD to Ulquiorra.

"Of course." She found the place to put the disc in, and hit the play button. She turned to track three. The music started blaring from the speakers and she went to go sit down next to him.

"_Sparkling angel I believe  
You were my savior in my time of need  
blinded __by faith I couldn't hear  
All the whispers, the warnings so clear.  
I see the angels, I'll lead them to your door  
There'__s no escape now, No mercy no more  
no __remorse cause I still remember  
__The smile when you tore me apart  
You took my heart, Deceived me right from the start  
Youshowed me dreams, I wished they'd turn into real  
You broke a promise and made me realize  
It __was all just a lie,_" Orihime sang. Ulquiorra's eyes widened.

"You sing beautifully," he complimented. Orihime smiled. Suddenly, Ulquiorra's door flung open. Kaname Tousen entered, his face looking more stern than usual.

"Cuatro Espada, Aizen-sama has requested your presence at once," he said. Ulquiorra immediately stood up and turned off the music.

"Of course," he said, leaving with Tousen. He looked back at Orihime.

"Wait here," he muttered, turning back to Tousen.

* * *

"He's here, Aizen-sama," Tousen said, bowing. Ulquiorra bowed as well.

"Thank you, Kaname. You may leave," Aizen ordered, motioning towards the door. Tousen nodded to Ulquiorra and then exited.

"Well, Ulquiorra. I'm disappointed," Aizen started, walking over to him- he had not been seated in his chair when they had entered.

"And here I had plans for him. Pity," he continued. Ulquiorra frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Aizen-sama," he admitted. Aizen turned back to the Arrancar, smiling.

"Oh, there's no use denying it. We all know. We found his body outside of Las Noches, not too far from where you were when returning the hostage." Ulquiorra gulped. What was he talking about…?

"It's obvious," Aizen said. "Once you put two and two together."

"Forgive me, but what's obvious?"

"The fact that you murdered Kurosaki Ichigo."

* * *

**Well, how many people knew the song she sang? It was Angels by Within Temptation, because that's the song I heard most while writing this chapter. I just see Ulquiorra liking bands like Evanescence, Within Temptation, Plumb, Kerli...Flyleaf, maybe. And Bach. I see him liking Johann Sebastion Bach. Also, Twilight was mentioned in this chapter...I'm just gonna say it. I don't really like Twilight.** **I've read all the books, and I'm just not that into it. All people are entitled to their own opinion. R&R, pls!**


	11. Onus

Ulquiorra's green eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

"Kurosaki's…dead?" he asked quietly. Aizen nodded.

"You would know best," he said, smiling gently. "Do not worry- I'm not mad at you."

"I didn't kill him," Ulquiorra admitted. _But who did…?_

"Of course you didn't," Aizen said knowingly. "_You_ have to tell Orihime, however."

"Tell…Orihime?" Ulquiorra repeated.

"Well, doesn't she have a right to know? She did love him," Aizen said. "Go, I'm awaiting a visit from Nnoitra so that we can have a talk about where he marks his territory." Ulquiorra slowly walked towards the door. It opened without him having to pull the handle, for Nnoitra slinked in the room, a scowl on his face.

"Ah, Nnoitra…I'm very disappointed in you…" Ulquiorra could hear Aizen say as he walked down the hallway. He reached Orihime's room in no time, much to his dislike. He knocked on the door twice.

"Come in!" came Orihime's voice. Ulquiorra opened the door, only to find that a large plate of food greeted him instead of Orihime's smile.

"One of the kitchen staff brought it," she explained. "I can't eat it all, so I was wondering if you would like some."

"Yes, but first-" Ulquiorra started, looking away from her face.

"Oh yeah, Grimmjow-san said that he wants his CD back…" she continued.

"Ok, I'll-"

"Also, he said that since Nnoitra might get ranked down, he could be the fifth Espada."

"Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." The room fell deathly silent. Orihime blinked twice, looking up at the Espada's calm face.

"What?" she asked, a hint of laughter in her voice, as if it was some cruel joke. "What do you mean?"

"He's dead, Orihime."

"Kurosaki-kun…is…dead?" Orihime whispered. Ulquiorra nodded.

"B-but, he was here a few days ago! He isn't dead!" she yelled.

"Aizen-sama told me that he was dead," Ulquiorra said.

"Is that why Tousen brought you to Aizen?" she asked.

"No, that was because he thought I killed Kurosaki." Orihime stared up at him blankly.

"You…killed…Kurosaki-kun?" she asked in disbelief. Ulquiorra's eyes widened.

"No, I didn't, someone else-" he started, but Orihime was already out the door.

"Orihime!" he called, rushing after her. She was nowhere in sight, however.

"Trouble in paradise?" came Grimmjow's voice from behind him.

"Hardly," Ulquiorra gritted through his teeth. Grimmjow smirked.

"This is your punishment for killing someone else's prey," he said.

"I didn't kill him," Ulquiorra said for a third time.

"It had to be you," Grimmjow said. "Who else could it have been?"

"He could have committed suicide," Ulquiorra suggested. Grimmjow laughed aloud and started down the hallway.

"The woman's in the kitchen if you're looking for her," he called back. Ulquiorra sighed and started down the hallway in the opposite direction, towards the kitchen.

He could smell the rice and fish that they were cooking. Upon entering the large kitchen, he immediately felt a wave of heat wash over him- it was burning hot in the room. He scanned the room for any sign of Orihime.

"Excuse me…" came a feeble voice from his left. He turned to face the small chef that had spoken to him.

"If you're looking for the hostage…" he continued. "She's working over there." Ulquiorra frowned. Since when did Orihime work in the kitchen?

"Thank you," he said, walking over to where the chef had pointed. He did not see anyone who could be her.

"Orihime?" he called. Then he found her grey eyes. He hadn't recognized her because her hair had been up and her face glued down to a pot of some brown substance.

"Why are you here?" he asked, rushing over to her.

"Don't talk to me," she said, her voice fierce.

"Answer the question," Ulquiorra ordered, raising his voice.

"Cooking calms me down," she explained. Ulquiorra took a deep breath.

"I didn't do it, Orihime."

"Didn't do _what_?" she snapped. "Didn't even think about what would come of murdering Kurosaki-kun?"

"I didn't kill him," Ulquiorra continued. Orihime looked down at the concoction she was cooking.

"Yes, you did," she said, tears falling into the pot. Ulquiorra put his hands on her shoulders and forced her face to face his.

"It wasn't me!" he repeated. She shook her head.

"Just…let me cook," she asked, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Please." Ulquiorra grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and down they hallway. She had to run to keep up with his fast pace. He said nothing. Nor did he even look at her.

They stopped at a huge metal door. An odd blowing noise was emanating from it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"The door to Las Noches. The main one, at least," Ulquiorra explained, letting go of her hand. He pointed at the door with his right hand and it silently flew open.

"What do you plan to do?" she asked, curiously peering out to look at the blank stretch of desert before them.

"We're leaving," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

* * *

**Ha! The plot is finally playing it's part! I wrote **_**this**_** chapter while listening to The Fray and Jimmy Hendrix. Mostly, at least. Please read and review!!**


	12. Belie

**I'm sorry it's been so looooong since I last updated! I have not died. It's just that school started...ugh. Read and review, please...**

* * *

"Leaving?" Orihime asked, backing away from the door. "You mean like for a walk or something?"

"No. We're going to the human world," Ulquiorra replied, walking further out into the desert.

"You mean Earth? Why?"

"You wanted to go back, did you not?" he asked, reaching out for her hand.

"But not now! And not with you…" Orihime said, trailing off.

"Just trust me," Ulquiorra insisted. Orihime hesitated, then took his hand and followed him out into the desert. She immediately felt the temperature drop about ten degrees.

"How are we going to get there?" she asked, shivering slightly. Ulquiorra just gave her a scornful look and brought his left hand out of his pocket. He pointed at the wide space in front of them. Orihime jumped- the doors behind her had just closed without warning.

A large rip appeared in the space around Ulquiorra's finger. Orihime gasped and stared in wonder at the portal. Ulquiorra stepped in, leading her in after himself.

"This is the way," he said simply. Nodding, she fully stepped into the opening.

"Wait!" came a voice from inside Las Noches. The doors swung open and Grimmjow ran out into the desert. Ulquiorra slowly stepped out of the portal and sighed.

"I knew this wouldn't work without me having to kill someone," he muttered, reaching for his sword. Grimmjow smirked.

"Don't be like that," he said. Orihime unsurely stepped out of the portal as well. Grimmjow smirked more widely.

"Don't you owe her some kind of explanation?" he said. "You've got everybody thinking you're insane."

"Insane?" Orihime repeated, looking at Ulquiorra's annoyed face.

"I plan to, Grimmjow," he said.

"What, by running away to the human world?" Grimmjow asked. "Even if it did happen, you can't escape your fate."

Ulquiorra just glared at Grimmjow, who took the hint and started to head back to Las Noches. Orihime turned to Ulquiorra, looking very confused.

"What was he talking about?" she asked. "Why do people think you're insane? What…W-what happened to Kurosaki-kun?" Tears began to form in her eyes. He put his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"Everything's fine," he started, but Orihime pushed him away.

"Don't treat me like an idiot!" she yelled. Ulquiorra didn't know how to respond.

"Do you honestly care that much about Kurosaki?" he asked quietly.

"Of course! I love him!" she said, more tears coming.

"But I love you." An eerie silence overcame the two. Orihime looked at the arrancar who stood before her in disbelief. She did not believe him to be capable of love.

"I like you, Ulquiorra-san," she started, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "But you're not Kurosaki-kun."

"What do I have to do to be him?" the arrancar asked. Orihime hesitated.

"Tell me what I'm lacking," he whispered. "I want to know." His eyes glowed ethereal viridian in the soft moonlight. It illuminated his pale skin, causing him to glow. Amazed, Orihime reached up and traced the tear marks on his cheek with her finger.

"Maybe it's okay to have a new Kurosaki-kun…" she thought. She didn't bother to answer- he already knew that he lacked nothing. A smile danced on Ulquiorra's lips as he reached up and ran his dexterous fingers through her long hair. It was like touching fine silk.

"All _you_ lack…" he started, leaning down and gently kissing her forehead. "…is me." Orihime could feel her heart throbbing in her chest. It felt as though it might explode. Slowly, their faces grew closer and closer. After what seemed like an eternity, their lips met. Ulquiorra pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. She threw her arms around his neck, but gasped, breaking their kiss- all around them it seemed to grow darker. Ulquiorra broke away and looked at the sky.

"Damn. It's already starting," he muttered.

"What's starting?" Orihime asked, looking up at the sky as well.

"The eclipse," Ulquiorra replied simply.

"Eclipse? I didn't know that could happen here," she said, feeling stupid.

"They don't. Well, it's an extremely rare occurrence," he continued. "Hueco Mundo blocks out the moon, causing all light to be gone. Then the sun comes."

"Sun? But there's no sun in Hueco Mundo!" Orihime exclaimed.

"No visible sun," Ulquiorra corrected. The sky darkened another shade. You could see the moon being eaten away. "There will be no light soon." Orihime looked up at his face- to her surprise, he looked extremely worried.

"What's wrong?" she asked, grabbing his arm.

"Once the lunar eclipse is over, the sun will immediately come," he started. "That's bad."

"Why?"

"Everyone will die." A silence swept over the desert. Orihime started at Ulquiorra, wide-eyed and afraid.

"Everyone will…die?" she repeated, dumbfounded. "What…how? Why?"

"I came across some old text while in Aizen-sama's study", he started, frowning. "I found an article about Hueco Mundo folklore."

"Folklore? Then-"

"It said that after two eclipses of the moon in a row, tragedy would befall the land and all hollow would cease to exist."

"Okay, but you said folklore!" Orihime yelled. Ulquiorra put up his hand to signal silence.

"The myth intrigued me. I read further into it. Many books stated the date of when Hueco Mundo's existence was acknowledged by the Soul Society." Orihime nodded.

"However," Ulquiorra continued, beginning to pace in circles, "the books all had different dates and years. There were a total of five different dates in all. I continued to read up on the eclipse story and found that there have supposedly been five eclipses in all. Reading the details, I found that the dates matched _exactly_." Orihime said nothing.

"You don't believe me," Ulquiorra said. It wasn't a question.

"I don't understand," she admitted.

"Basically, there have been five eclipses. Therefore, Hueco Mundo has been restarted five times." Orihime continued to be silent.

"The story is true, Orihime," he assured her.

"You said…that all _hollows_ would cease to exist," she started. Ulquiorra nodded.

"I'm not a hollow." He nodded again. She looked at him suspiciously. "But you are." He gave her a third nod.

"So," she said, her face holding no expression. "You will die and…and I won't?" Gravely, Ulquiorra nodded a fourth time. All the light faded from the sky as Hueco Mundo seated itself fully in front of the moon.

* * *

**Oh no! Don't die, Ulqui! Okay, seriously, if you didn't get how he found out that it was real(the eclipse), then...uh...let me break it down for you. Let's say there are 5 books. Here are the dates for when Hueco Mundo was discovered. (these are random dates, people.)  
Book 1- 3/12/03  
Book 2- 7/30/12  
Book 3- 5/03/34  
Book 4- 12/27/57  
Book 5- 1/01/099  
and here are the eclipse dates.  
eclipse 1- 3/12/03  
Eclipse 2- 7/30/12  
Eclipse 3- 5/03/34  
Eclipse 4- 12/27/57  
Eclipse 5- 1/01/99 Get it?? Read and Review, please! I have 34 reviews while writing this...35 is my lucky number. :) **


	13. Sublimity

**Ulquiorra: Hello. I'm terribly sorry, but Mikuzu died. She will most likely be alive by morning. She apologizes for updating so slowly, but school started and her town just got hit by a hurricane. Eheh. So, please enjoy chapter 13. Read and Review, please.**

* * *

Orihime's eyes fluttered open. She sat up and looked out her window. A small crescent moon stared back at her. Barely any light shone from it. She was startled when she saw that she was all alone in the room.

"Ulquiorra-san?" she called, knowing that no answer would come. She was only answered by silence. "Was it a dream?" she thought to herself. She looked up at the moon again; or, at least, what was left of the moon.

"Probably not." She stood up and headed for her door. She was going to go confirm that Ulquiorra and her's conversation had really happened. She wandered down the hallway, trying to remember which of the doors belonged to Ulquiorra's room.

"Ah, Orihime," came a deep voice from behind her. She turned and faced Aizen, disdain clearly showing in his face. Why him of all people?

"What're you doing, wandering around out of your room?" he asked, advancing towards her.

"I was looking for Ulquiorra-san", she answered truthfully. "I had something I wanted to talk to him about."

"Ulquiorra? Didn't you hear? He's sick," Aizen said, frowning. Orihime's eyes widened.

"Sick? Since when?" she asked.

"Since yesterday," Aizen said. "Everyone of the arrancar are sick. It's a strange situation…"

"All of the arrancar?" Orihime repeated. She looked up at Aizen's smiling face and felt a dormant anger stir inside of her.

"Don't you know about the eclipse?" she asked in a rather harsh tone. Aizen was surprised.

"How could I not? It's right outside my window. It will pass, however, as all things do." This answer did not satisfy Orihime.

"And you don't care if everyone dies?" she asked, fuming. As apathetic as Aizen might be, he should at least be concerned for the lives of the arrancar.

"Die?" Aizen said, a hint of laughter in his deep voice. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Ulquiorra-san told me! He said that when the eclipse comes, all hollows would die! That's why we're not sick!" Orihime yelled. Aizen let out a chuckle and patted Orihime on the head. She glared at him.

"Oh, you know that Ulquiorra must have been trying to scare you," he said. "That couldn't really happen. Where's the logic?" Orihime turned her back on him and started down the hallway.

"Oh, and, Orihime- please don't go visit Ulquiorra," Aizen said. Orihime stopped.

"Why not?" she asked.

"He's already sick. He doesn't need you spouting nonsense about death, and you might catch it as well."

"It's true!" Aizen held up his hand and Orihime fell silent.

"Please, Orihime. Just go back to your quarters. Gin will be there with your food shortly," he said in a gentle tone.

"Gin?" Orihime asked, confused.

"Of course," Aizen said. "Ulquiorra and the other arrancar are sick. He was most willing to do it."

"Off with you," he said, motioning down the opposite direction of the hallway. Orihime scowled and started back towards her room. Aizen strode down the hallway and to the kitchen, smiling in triumph.

* * *

Orihime quietly tiptoed down the dark hallway. It was late at night; she could feel it. There was only a tiny sliver of the normally bright moon left. She kept bumping into the wall, for she couldn't see anything. She felt along the wall, counting the doors. Stopping at the door that she was sure was Ulquiorra's, she slowly turned the handle and slipped in the room.

"Ulquiorra-san?" she called; what was left of the moon shone brilliantly from Ulquiorra's huge window. It was as if the window were a magnifying glass.

"Ulquiorra-san?!" she called again, more loudly; there was no one in his bed. "He's not here…" she thought to herself in panic. "Where could he _go?"_

* * *

"I came," Ulquiorra stated, frowning. "Tell me what I have to do and why I should listen to you." The wind that blew over the dark desert was all that could be heard. Finally, a female voice spoke.

"You made a wise decision," it said. "You will escape death if you listen to us. Therefore, you should." Sweat shone on Ulquiorra's forehead- he did indeed look sick.

"Alright, I'll listen," he said. "Hurry, time is running out." Rukia nodded.

"We can bring you to the Soul Society. The eclipse shouldn't effect you while in shinigami territory," Renji explained. "You just have to do something for us in return." Ulquiorra raised his eyebrows.

"What do I have to do?" he asked. Rukia smiled.

"The task should be easy for you. You are the Fourth Espada, after all," she said, flattery evident in her voice. "All you have to do is bring us the body of Inoue Orihime."

* * *

**Ha! I am back from the dead! Yeah, school and storms are a pain in the neck...it was only category one. Just knocked some branches down and freaked out my pets. This chapter is titled "Sublimity" because the only song I listened to while writing it was "Re-sublimity" by Kotoko. Awesome song. You should hear it. Also, thanks sooo much to all the people who leave reviews. I love to know what people think of my work. R&R, plz.**


	14. Moonstruck

**And here it is. I actually have a plan! I swear! Read and review, please!**

* * *

"Bring you the body?" Ulquiorra repeated. "As in murder her?" Rukia frowned.

"Murder is such a strong word," she said. Renji nodded. "You're not going to murder her. You're going to do us a favor in return for staying alive."

"It's a matter of your life or your woman," Renji said. "We both know what would be the wiser pick."

"She's not my wo-"

"Then what's the problem? Go bring us the body", Rukia interrupted. Ulquiorra hesitated.

"Isn't there something else I can do?" he asked, annoyed. "I want us to both live."

"No. This is the only option," Rukia said. Renji nodded in agreement again.

"No", Ulquiorra said. Rukia sighed.

"So you do love her. Shame," she said. "And you're confident that she feels the same way?"

"Yes." A grin spread across the shinigami's lips.

"I wonder…" she started, walking towards Ulquiorra. "…who she would pick?"

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked. Renji gave Rukia a look. She ignored it.

"If she knew that her precious Kurosaki-kun was still alive," Rukia said, smirking at the Espada's surprised expression. "Would she rather be with you or him?" Without a word, Ulquiorra started back to Las Noches.

"So, no deal? No chance at all?" she called after him. Ulquiorra continued walking. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us!" Renji put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him.

"You shouldn't have lied about Kurosaki," he said angrily. "We want him on our side."

"Well, we're not doing a very good job by asking him to kill Orihime."

"Come on, we have to get back to the Soul Society. Being out here for too long isn't good for us…" Renji said. The two trekked a bit farther away from Las Noches; a strong gust of wind cleared away their footprints as they opened a portal and stepped in.

* * *

"What's happening?" Orihime asked, shivering in the cold that seemed to suddenly surround her. "I feel so powerless…" She looked up at the pathetic amount of moon in the sky and frowned.

"It's as if it's sucking my power away as it disappears…" She laid down in Ulquiorra's empty bed, trying to warm up. Then, without warning, his door flung open. She immediately sat up, and in walked Ulquiorra, who collapsed onto the floor and started coughing.

"Ulquiorra-san!" she called, rushing over to him. She helped him up and put him on the bed. "Where were you?"

"I was just checking out the moon," Ulquiorra lied, looking out his huge window. Orihime looked as well.

"Ulquiorra-san…" she started, looking back at him. "It feels as if all my powers are being drained…"

"It may be the eclipse." Ulquiorra still stared out of the window. "You're not a hollow, but you could still be affected. By the time I'm dead, you're powers may be gone." He finally broke his gaze from the window.

"In order for me to live…" he started. "Would you be willing to die?"

"Of course!"

"The question is, would I be willing to kill you?"

"What?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra suddenly stood up and started for his door.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said, determination in his voice. "I'll force them to take me, and I'll take you, too."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Orihime said, heading for the door as well. Ulquiorra was walking as he fast as he could down the hallway; Orihime struggled to keep up with him.

"Where are you going now?" she asked, falling behind.

"I'm going to find the shinigami," he answered, quickening his pace. He rounded a corner and passed a bewildered Grimmjow. Orihime quickly followed after him.

"Hey, what's-" he started, but they were already out of earshot. Sighing, he continued down the hallway.

Ulquiorra opened the door to the desert and headed out, Orihime tagging along.

"Ulquiorra-san! What's going on?" she asked, holding his sleeve back.

"Let go of me, woman. We don't have much time," was the angry response. Orihime immediately fell silent. They continued on in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, Ulquiorra stopped. Looking down, he stepped back in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asked, walking over. She immediately saw the answer.

There lay Ichigo Kurosaki's body, face down in the sand. She bent down and flipped him over, tears forming in her grey eyes.

"He really is dead…" she whispered. "I've been telling myself that it was a dream, but…" She embraced his body and turned to Ulquiorra.

"I don't care where were going, but we're taking him," she said. Ulquiorra hesitated.

"Orihime…he's dead," he said gently. She shook her head. "No."

"Fine. Let's go." Orihime hoisted Kurosaki up, and flung his arm around her shoulder. She trudged after the Espada with much effort.

"So…what are we looking for?" she asked between breaths.

"I believe their names are Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji."

"What?!" Orihime asked as they came to a clearing. A small tent was set up, and Rukia and Renji sat at a small fire. Looking up and noticing the guests, Rukia walked up to her.

"So, you came. And she's still alive," she said, looking at Orihime. Her eyes widened as her eyes moved to Kurosaki's body.

"I thought his body had been disposed of," she called back to Renji. Renji shrugged.

"Kuchiki-san, do you know who killed Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, not caring about why she was in Hueco Mundo.

"Of course, Inoue," Rukia said. "It was me."

* * *

**I just came back from a dance, and I swear, If I ever hear "Sexy Can I" again, my head will explode. R&R, plz.**


	15. Apogee

**HAHA! I'm back! And I have a reason for my long absence! My computer crashed, and I died due to the incident. But, here I am, so please enjoy this chapter, and the side stories that follow it. [EDIT: Removed. They was stupid. ;_ ;]:) Read and review, pls.**

* * *

"Y-you killed Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, taking a step back. Rukia gave her a smirk, and took a step forward.

"Yes, and I should've killed _him_ when I had the chance." She glared at Ulquiorra. His eyes never met hers- they seemed to be staring into something that none of the others could see. Rukia smiled again. "Looks like he'll be dead soon anyway."

"Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime called, turning back to the Espada. He did not respond.

"He's dying," Renji said simply. "He'll be like him soon." He motioned to Ichigo's body, lying face down in the desert. Tears suddenly began to cloud Orihime's eyes.

"Why?" she asked, tears streaming down her face. "Ulquiorra-san never did anything wrong…"

"He's done many things wrong," Rukia interrupted, smirking at the Espada. "This is his fate." Renji threw Rukia a look. She scowled at him, and then turned to Orihime.

"We need you to come with us," she continued. "Back to the Soul Society."

"No," Orihime replied simply. "I'm staying here."

"Why?" Rukia asked. "Why stay here with Aizen and his army of dying arrancar?" Orihime said nothing. "You won't be able to help anyone. You can feel your powers draining away, can't you?"

Orihime could indeed feel her powers leaving her. She felt weak and pathetic, but most of all, she felt angry.

"Look at him," Rukia spat, looking at Ulquiorra with distain. "He's like a comatose patient." She looked down at Ichigo as well. "_He_ didn't even see his death coming." Renji gave a small cough, but Rukia ignored it.

"And why do you so badly want to stay here, Inoue?" she continued, walking towards Orihime. "Is it your precious 'Ulquiorra-san'? Did you _love_ him?"

"He-" Orihime started, but was interrupted by, "I bet you're happy that Ichigo's dead…now there's no one to confuse your fragile feelings."

"That isn't-"

"You're useless and pathetic. You couldn't save either of them." Rukia motioned towards Ichigo and Ulquiorra. "Just do us a favor and come with us. We both know that you won't be able to put up much of a struggle." She smirked. "In fact, I think that you-"

_Smack._ Rukia staggered backward, her hand holding her cheek, which was bright red. Orihime stood before her, with her right hand raised, looking absolutely livid. She had slapped her.

"Shut up!" she yelled, taking a step forward. Rukia was equally infuriated.

"You piece of-" she started, rushing forward.

"Don't touch her." Orihime turned around to see what Rukia was glaring at. Ulquiorra had spoken, and was slowly walking towards the two.

"Ulquiorra-san!" Orihime exclaimed. "You're okay!" Ulquiorra did not reply. He took another step forward.

"Ow…" he whined, clutching his side. Orihime's face fell.

"Are you okay, Ulquiorra-san?" she asked. He nodded.

"It just…hurts," he explained. She frowned. Rukia let out a laugh.

"Ha! You can barely walk, you're in so much pain."

"Orihime's right…you need to shut up," Renji said, rolling his eyes. "You're not as intimidating as you think you are." Rukia shot him a death glare. Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently.

"What the…?" Rukia said, looking around. She glanced at Renji. He nodded. The two began to run across the desert, far from sight.

"We'll come back soon!" Orihime heard Rukia yell off in the distance. Ulquiorra then collapsed on the ground.

"Ulquiorra-san!" Orihime said, rushing to his side. "Where does it hurt?" Ulquiorra coughed up a dark glob of blood. Orihime gasped at the sight.

"Don't worry about me," he said. He turned to face the body next to him. "Heal Kurosaki."

"H-heal Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime hesitated. "I don't think I can heal two people…" Almost all of her powers seemed to have left her.

"I don't care. You love him, right?" Ulquiorra gave her a small smile. "Heal him. I just want you to be happy."

"That's…I think that that's the nicest thing I've ever had anyone say to me."

"Hurry up and heal him." Ulquiorra coughed again.

"But, Ulquiorra-san…then you'll die."

"I know that, woman. Just heal him and get out of here." Orihime's eyes began to well up with tears. She turned to Kurosaki's body and nodded.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra-san," she whispered, placing her hands over Ichigo's back. A soft glow began to emit from them. "I love you."

The Arrancar weakly nodded, and Orihime knew that her feelings were requited. Slowly, her powers began to seep out of her body through her hands and into Ichigo, slowly giving him life. She struggled to keep her powers from fluxuating too much, for it was extremely difficult to do so with her abilities seeping out of her with every passing minute. Soon, his eyelids began to stir and his hands would occasionally twitch. With each new movement, Ulquiorra seemed to fade away. After about seven minutes of unbearable silence, Ichigo sat up, stretching.

"Inoue!" he yelled, wrapping his arms around the young girl. "You're okay!" Tears fell from her eyes and into her lap. She wiped her face with her sleeve, trying to hide her sadness. She turned to Ichigo and smiled.

"Yeah. I'm so glad you're alive, Kurosaki-kun…" she said cheerfully; her façade was easily seen through. Ichigo was alarmed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.

"There's nothing wrong with _me…_" she started. "It's what's wrong with this world."

"Why? What happened?"

"He's dead," Orihime said simply. Ulquiorra's body lay on its back, still and silent, about ten feet away. Ichigo winced at the sight.

"You…you killed him?" he asked in surprise.

"Not exactly." With a shuddering breath, Orihime told Ichigo the tale of everything that had happened after he had died. She told him about his confession, and the eclipse, and everything that Rukia and Renji had done. She told about how Ulquiorra had told her to save Ichigo instead of himself, and how she could only save one of them. She continued until Ichigo told her to stop.

"Crap," he muttered, frowning. "Everything cool happens after I die." If she had not been so upset, Orihime would've laughed at his immature statement. Ichigo sadly looked at Ulquiorra.

"I'm sorry, Inoue. There's nothing that we can do," he said softly. Orihime nodded. Ichigo stood up, and offered her his hand. She took it without hesitation.

"Let's go home," he said. Orihime nodded, and together the two trudged across the desert to where they knew that they could leave. As they were leaving, a shadowy figure stepped out from behind a steep, sandy hill. The figure was Sousuke Aizen.

Aizen walked up to Ulquiorra's body once they were out of sight- he bent down over his face and pressed his lips softly to the Arrancar's; he gently awoke.

"What the…?" Ulquiorra asked, sitting up. He rubbed his head with his hand. "I thought I was dead."

"You were," Aizen said matter of factly. Ulquiorra blinked.

"Then why am I…how?" he asked. Aizen grinned.

"Mouth resuscitation," he replied cheerfully.

* * *

_9 Days Later_

* * *

The sound of his steady foot steps echoed through the grand hallway. The only other sound that was audible was his ragged breathing. Spotting a flicker of movement, he rounded a corner and sprinted down the hall.

"Orihime?" he asked breathlessly, his eyes scanning the space around him. A tall figure stepped into the glow of the moon that bathed the hallway in light.

"Orihime? My, my," the figure asked, pacing around Ulquiorra's still figure. "She isn't here, is she?"

"No," Ulquiorra admitted through gritted teeth.

"And why is that?" Aizen asked, whispering in Ulquiorra's ear. He said nothing. Aizen frowned.

"Why did you let her revive Kurosaki Ichigo?" he questioned the still Espada. "You knew that she would most likely leave, right?" Ulquiorra nodded. Aizen frowned again.

"I don't get it. You love her, right?" he asked. Ulquiorra nodded again. "Then why did you let her leave?"

"I let her leave _because_ I love her," Ulquiorra replied wistfully, staring out the lone window that allowed his eyes entrance to the barren stretch of snow white desert beyond his prison's walls.

"_Because_?" Aizen questioned.

"If you love something, you have to set it free," Ulquiorra explained, his eyes breaking away from the window. The frame then started to shake violently; a gust of wind was pounding mercilessly on the worn glass. Aizen's eyes became alert.

"Wind?" he asked. "Since when has there been wind in Hueco Mundo?"

"Since when has there been _love_ in Hueco Mundo?" Ulquiorra asked ruefully. "Change is bound to come."

"Maybe that woman _has_ changed you," Aizen said, frowning. "In my eyes, however, you have changed for the worse."

"And you haven't changed at _all_, Aizen-sama," the Espada said. "And I think that that's for the worse."

"Since when have you talked to me like that, Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked smoothly. "You were always the most loyal, the most trustworthy of the Espada."

"Well, Aizen-sama, it's very simple," Ulquiorra explained. "I have felt what it's like to be needed. To be _wanted_." Aizen said nothing.

"You never needed me here," he went on. "Sure, I may have been useful to you on occasion, but I wasn't necessary to you." Ulquiorra paused. "Then I met Orihime. She enjoyed my presence, as I enjoyed hers, however long it took me to realize the truth. Soon, my feelings for her escalated. I wasn't sure if she felt the same way or not.

"Then I realized the sad truth. She didn't belong here in Hueco Mundo. She belonged on Earth, with her friends. I let her choose Kurosaki. I let her go. After she left, however, I felt ripping agony. 'Why would she leave so willingly?' I thought to myself. 'She never felt the same for me as I felt for her. If she loved me, she would've stayed. She would've refused to heal Kurosaki.' But, I had a future here. She did not. Life would be hard on her always if she stayed here, her being the only human female."

"How terribly hard this time must be for you," Aizen said sarcastically. "I'm sorry to add to your burden, Ulquiorra, but you seem to have turned against me." Aizen slowly withdrew his sword. "I think you know the price."

"I'm afraid that I can't allow you to kill me, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra said, slowly withdrawing his zanpakuto as well. "You see, somewhere in this world, someone _needs_ me. But it isn't here." And with that, the two charged at each other, sparks flaring from the point where their two weapons collided.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, dear Espada," Aizen called over the clinging sound of metal clashing. "But I brought you into this world, so it is my duty to take you out."

"I agree completely, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra replied. "Out of _this_ world." He struck against Aizen's sword with newfound strength. "Once I defeat you, I am going to Earth."

* * *

**That went by fast, didn't it? I thought so. Ha ha, 'mouth resuscitation'. lolz. R&R, plz.**


	16. Perquisition

Metal against metal; silver sparks flew as Ulquiorra and Aizen's swords clashed against one another repeatedly. The pale arrancar moved skillfully and silently, trying to create an opening for an attack. Aizen was far too powerful to let that happen, however, and never let his guard down. He merely seemed to be playing with Ulquiorra as he moved fast and freely, flowing from one block with his sword to the next. Ulquiorra glared at the man he once worshiped. Several times, he thought his sword was going to fly out of his hand.

"I have to win," he thought to himself. "If I don't, I'll never see Orihime again." Keeping this solitary thought in his head, the Espada struck his blade against Aizen's with a newfound will to succeed. Aizen's eyes flashed as he flew backwards, finding that he could not overpower the Arrancar's blows.

"Do you really think that you can defeat me, Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked, smiling. "I, who created you?" Ulquiorra hesitated before answering.

"It's not that I truly believe that I can," he replied, "but I do believe that I must. Therefore, I will."

"You always were blunt. I didn't want to have to do this, but I have no say in fate," the brunette man said, putting his middle and index fingers on the tip of his zanpakuto. Running them down the body of the sword, he announced, "Kyokasuigetsu." Ulquiorra's eyes widened. Aizen smirking at him was the last thing he saw before everything around him went pitch black.

"Kanzensaimin," Aizen's voice reemerged. Instantly, the darkness surrounding Ulquiorra was flooded with light as a scenic lakefront came into view. There was a park nearby; he could hear children laughing in the distance. And then he stopped. Standing on the bridge over the lake was a young girl, and upon closer speculation, it was exactly who he'd hoped it would be.

"Orihime!" he called out, rushing over to the bridge. But the closer he got to her, the farther away she seemed to be. Suddenly, Ulquiorra spiraled back into reality; Aizen was staring angrily at something behind the fourth Espada.

"Now you've turned against me as well, Grimmjow? And you too, Nnoitra?" he asked. Ulquiorra turned around; behind him were, as Aizen had recognized, Grimmjow and Nnoitra, grinning triumphantly.

"Why did you…?" Ulquiorra stated, but was interrupted by, "We figured that if you leave for Earth and never come back, Nnoitra and I can turn your room into something useful."

"How do you know I won't change my mind?" Ulquiorra questioned again. Nnoitra replied to this with an incredulous snort.

"You're not just gonna leave your woman with all of those shinigami there, are you?" he asked, withdrawing his sword. Grimmjow took his out as well.

"Are you sure you can win against-" the pale arrancar instigated, but Grimmjow replied with, "If we both release our swords? Heck yeah! Now get out of here!" Clawing the body of his blade, the blue-haired Espada exclaimed, "Grind! Pantera!" Ulquiorra had to look away while the arrancar transformed; the light was almost blinding. When Grimmjow had fully evolved, he lunged at Aizen; both Ulquiorra and Nnoitra winced when they heard the first blow of their battle. Nnoitra turned to Ulquiorra, frowning.

"Now, don't get me wrong. We're not doing this for your sake. We were getting tired of Aizen always bossing around anyways," he explained.

"Wait," Ulquiorra said. "Why weren't you two affected by the eclipse?"

"Same reason you weren't," Nnoitra replied. "Orihime-chan's presence here in Hueco Mundo unknowingly protected all of the higher level hollow. Her powers are truly God-like."

"Nnoitra…"

"Just go already! How many questions do you have? You never struck me as the talkative type," the gangly arrancar said in an annoyed tone. Ulquiorra just nodded and opened up a portal to Karakura town; the sounds of Grimmjow and Aizen fighting in the distance bounced and echoed throughout the giant marble hallway. Ulquiorra turned to Nnoitra and gave a small bow. "Thank you," he said sincerely, turning to the portal he had created.

"Tell Orihime-chan that I'm sorry," Nnoitra said quietly, yet still in a somewhat irritated tone. The shorter Espada merely nodded and stepped into the portal; he was gone.

-

Ulquiorra's portal materialized in front of a large building with a sign hanging on it that read, "Kurosaki Clinic - Going out of Business." He wrinkled his nose as the word "Kurosaki." He looked around the busy town with little interest; nothing strange seemed to be going on. Sighing and remembering his goal, he pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket. Written on it was Orihime's address in sloppy handwriting. Nnoitra had snuck it to him before he'd left. He quickly strode down the road, turning his head back and forth, looking for her street sign. He came across a group of people who appeared to be shinigami. They marched down the street in a triangle formation, two of them holding black and white flags. Deciding to ignore them, he continued walking on until he found her street. He walked up to the apartment she lived in and knocked. There was silence. He knocked again; he could hear the knock echo throughout the seemingly empty living quarters.

"Woman?" he called, trying to sound recognizable. There was, yet again, not reply.

"…Orihime?" Frustrated, he did something he knew he would later regret; he kicked down the door to her apartment. Rushing in, he looked around wildly, calling the auburn-haired girl's name. Just as he had anticipated, there was only silence calling back to him. He continued to search the house, looking through the all of the closets and dressers. No trace of Orihime was found.

"Maybe she's staying with a friend…" Ulquiorra thought to himself reassuringly as he turned to exit the house. He stopped, however, for a lone sheet of paper on the parquet floor had caught his eye. He stooped down and picked it up, his analytical eyes scanning over the paper. It read:

_Aizen- We killed Inoue and brought the body to the clinic. We will return soon. -Rukia Kuchiki_

The paper fluttered to the floor as Ulquiorra's body went rigid; surely this letter must be a ruse. Orihime couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. He stood, transfixed, staring down at the discarded paper. Then, another thing hit him. _Aizen._

He frowned down at the paper, crossing his arms. He knew Aizen's style; this letter was too out in the open to be genuine. He stepped on it on his way out and ran down the street as fast as he could to the Kurosaki Clinic, trying his best to sense anybody's reiatsu.

-

Nnoitra glared up at Aizen and then to the body of Grimmjow that lay lifeless and bleeding on the floor.

"How could you possibly have overtaken him?" the gangly arrancar asked angrily, though fear flickered in his voice. Aizen merely smiled and replied with, "Like I said. I created you arrancar. I know your weaknesses." Nnoitra, who had released his zanpakuto, swung his scythe-like sword at the ex-shinigami; Aizen easily dodged it saying, "I know that when Espada release their zanpakuto, they evolve to their true form." Nnoitra continued slicing away at Aizen, but the old Captain caught the blade before it could touch him.

"However, it is not a perfect evolution," he continued. "For instance, extensive fighting while released may cause permanent damage to the body. It will erode you, therefore you should only bring out your sword when one last blow is needed." Nnoitra's eyes widened.

"You…you never told me that," he said, gritting his teeth as he pushed against Aizen with his blade.

"Precisely," Aizen admitted. "You're the only other being to know." Nnoitra withdrew his sword and cantered back a few steps; he smirked at Aizen, pointing out, "But at least we Espada have a release. You shinigami remain the same, no matter what you do. Your swords are no better then ours!"

"My, my, you certainly are ignorant, Nnoitra," Aizen said. "Haven't you ever heard of a thing called bankai?" Nnoitra's triumphant grin faded. "Allow me to demonstrate."

-

Ulquiorra prodded around the run down clinic, trying to find and opening or weakness. To his dismay, when he'd gotten there, he'd found that some kind of unseen barrier in the shape of a large dome was set up all around the building. Frowning, he kicked at the force field with all of his might; the clinic seemed to tremble slightly, but nothing else happened. Sighing, he turned around, looking for a broken bottle or something that he might be able to use to break in.

To his horror, he was being watched…by a little girl holding a stuffed lion. They stared at each other in silence until the girl screamed, dropping the lion and running off down the street.

"She could see me?" he thought, frowning. Feeling hated, Ulquiorra bent down and picked up the plush toy, studying it with mild interest. Then, without a shred of hesitation, he threw the lion at the force field. To his surprise, it passed through and hit the clinic's front door.

It bounced of, flopping lifelessly onto the ground. To add to his shock, the lion stood up and turned to him, yelling, "Are you some kind of psychopath? Who throws stuffed animals at hospitals?" The toy then covered up his mouth with his paws, muttering, "Oops…" but the arrancar was completely apathetic towards the fact that the toy could talk.

"Tell me how you got in," Ulquiorra asked. The plushie looked at him skeptically, saying, "Get in where?"

"The force field. I'm stuck out here," the arrancar said. Smirking, the animal replied with, "Sure. I'll tell you how to get in…for a price."

"Sparing your life? Fine."

"First, you must call me Kon-sama," the lion said, ignoring Ulquiorra. "Second, you must give me seven hundred yen."

"Fine. Now tell me," Ulquiorra relented, his patience wearing thin. Kon's eyes twinkled as he began to instruct Ulquiorra.

"Put your hands up to your head like this," he demanded, doing the example himself. "Now, flap your hands up and down." Ulquiorra had not moved at all.

"I am _not _doing that," he spat, crossing his arms across his chest. Kon frowned, then sighed.

"Oh, well," he said, reaching for the clinic door handle. "Guess I'll talk to you later." Begrudgingly, the Espada put his hands up to his head and did as Kon had told him.

"Yeah, like that! Now shake your hips!" the stuffed lion exclaimed. Looking absolutely mortified, Ulquiorra did as instructed.

"Now ram the force field with your head! You should be able to get through!"

Confident, Ulquiorra lowered his head and ran towards the building; instead of passing through the barrier, however, he crashed headfirst into it. Kon burst out laughing the second his head made contact. Growling furiously, Ulquiorra pulled out his sword and began slashing rapidly at the force field. Kon screamed and ran behind a trashcan; to Ulquiorra's surprise, his zanpakuto cut through nothing. Rushing up to the clinic, he found that nothing was in the way.

"I suppose it's deactivated by a scream," he thought to himself, forgetting about all the things he had thought up to do to Kon_._

_

* * *

  
_**I'm back, and I have failed again. At least, failed at sticking to my "plan." No, this is not the last chapter and yes, there at least three more that need to be fleshed out. Bring it on! Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! ;)**

**6/4/09: Beta-ed. :D  
**


	17. Trepidation

Orihime's eyes slowly began to open; all around her it was dark. The only light source was a blinding fluorescent doctor's light mounted above her. She tried to move, but couldn't; she was strapped down to the cot she lay on.

"Is she unconscious?" a female voice asked in a hushed tone; Orihime could just barely make out the speaker's silhouette. A second figure emerged.

"I think so," it replied.

"Kuchiki-san? Abarai-san?" the ginger-haired girl tried to call out, but found that her mouth was dry and numb. Only rasps were heard.

"Did you hear that, Menoli?" the first figure asked. Menoli nodded, stepping closer to Orihime's cot.

"She needs more anesthetic," she responded. "Get me the bag, Loli. I need you to unhook the-"

Suddenly, everything grew quiet. Even the hospital equipment stopped it's incessant humming and beeping.

"Wh-what is this feeling?" Orihime spoke, but no sound whatsoever came out of her mouth. Then it came; it came, fast, slamming her down into her own bed. She could not move a muscle, couldn't breathe, couldn't even blink. She recognized the feeling, and it was getting closer.

It was the reiatsu of Sosuke Aizen.

-

"I lost." Nnoitra's words resounded through Las Noches. He sunk to the ground next to Grimmjow's lifeless body.

"I can't believe it." Nnoitra slowly closed his eyes. "I'm dying...I'm dying. Yup. Yeah, I'm dead."

"Those are your famous last words, Nnoitra?" a sarcastic voice asked. Nnoitra looked up, livid.

"Szayel! How dare you interrupt my death!" he yelled, sitting up. Blood seeped from the wound on his side. Szayel's eyes widened.

"So, Aizen-sama cut through your hierro? Very impressive." Nnoitra frowned.

"No, I cut myself in order to...what the hell are you wearing?" He had just noticed that the pink-haired arrancar was clad only in a pair of white briefs.

"I just woke up, threw these on, and rushed over here once I caught wind of the battle," Szayel explained, striding over to Grimmjow's body.

"You mean you sleep in the nude?"

"Right before Aizen-sama struck the final blow, I could feel his fear and alarm," Szayel went on. "I guess we Espada are more linked than I imagined."

"That's a disturbing thought," Nnoitra muttered. He looked up at Szayel, grimacing.

"I can't move in this condition," he explained. "You need to get to Earth to assist Ulquiorra." Szayel grinned widely, turning on his heel.

"Excellent! Let me get my latest invention! It can travel through dimensions. All it requires as fuel is a virgin sacrifice."

"Just go!" Nnoitra yelled, pointing at Grimmjow's body and opening a Gargantua.

"I will once I-"

"GO!"

And with that, Szayel was mercilessly pushed into to the portal.

-

"Oh, no." Ulqiuorra instinctively covered his mouth and nose with his hand. The clinic reeked with evil intentions and the stifling smell of alcohol. "I can't even sense Orihime." He kept walking up that dark staircase of the clinic until he came to the first room; cautiously, he opened it. Peering into the room, he saw and heard no one.

"Greetings, Ulquiorra-san."

At least, he saw and heard no one important. Szayel was sitting on the room's anally neat bed in a terry cloth robe.

"Why are you here?" Ulquiorra asked, stunned. Of all the Espada to join him...

"Nnoitra sent me as his final wish. You see, your woman is needed to revive both him and Grimmjow," Szayel explained. The Cuatro Espada felt his breath catch in his throat. His heart gave a heavy throb.

"They're dead?" he asked. It wasn't really a question as much as it was a means of closure.

"They were murdered by Sosuke Aizen-sama," Szayel confirmed. Silence followed the pink-haired arrancar's statement. Several sharp intakes of breath broke it.

"This is a war," Ulquiorra said finally. "Many will be lost and few will be gained. They all, however, will be remembered."

"Are you telling me that you actually cared for the pathetic lives of those two?" Szayel asked. Ulquiorra hesitated.

"I care for Orihime, and I appreciate their help. Their death does concern me. I'd rather them have survived," he responded.

"But that's so illogical," was the clockwork reply.

"What?"

"You're turning into one of them, Ulquiorra-san," Szayel said. "A human. Humans are pitiful creatures with deranged motives and emotions. Surely you feel superior to them."

"We are no different from humans," Ulquiorra stated, an image of Orihime blossoming into his mind. He cringed as it faded to a lifeless grey.

"Being human is Aizen-sama's biggest weakness. Use it to your advantage." Turning away from Szayel, Ulquiorra headed out of the room; their conversation was becoming extremely irritating. He heard and saw no more of the Octava Espada as he reached the next room. Upon entering, he froze. Instead of another resident of Las Noches, the once again dead body of Kurosaki Ichigo stared at Ulquiorra with his lifeless fish eyes.

"Oh, come on. Not again," Ulquiorra groaned, checking the body's pulse. His eyes widened; he had felt a faint surge of blood. Wordlessly, he wheeled the cot with the not so dead body out of the room and checked several more rooms; they were all empty.

"Aizen-sama," Menoli and Loli said respectfully in unison, bowing deeply. They stayed on their knees as the ex-shinigami captain walked over to them, a cold smile worn on his face. The two arrancar cringed as he knocked a glass beaker off the table by Orihime's cot.

"I see you allowed Ulquiorra breech the force field," Aizen said callously, looking tenderly down at Orihime's resting face; she, of course, was wide awake.

"What? He got through? But that's impossible!" Loli exclaimed, looking up from the gray, tiled floor of the clinic at Aizen's steely expression.

"Fall back," the man ordered. Loli immediately faced the floor again. "I am not pleased. He'll be a hassle to deal with."

"Our apologies, Aizen-sama," Menoli said softly, not looking up. "We were careless. We assure you, however, that the Cuatro Espada will not be able to locate Inoue Orihime." Aizen raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" the brunet man asked, placing his pointer and ring fingers on Orihime's cold cheek; she trembled under his touch. His spiritual pressure was once again slamming her into her bed.

"We set up another barrier," Menoli continued, allowing herself to slowly stand up. "We made it so that her room is undetectable. Ulquiorra Schiffer will never be able to find it."

Aizen smirked. "Let's hope so," he replied, pulling his zanpakuto out of it's sheath. "Maybe this will teach dear Ulquiorra that his love is hopeless." In the blink of an eye, Aizen's sword was pressed against Orihime's cheek; it slowly cut the supple flesh, and fresh blood flowed from the wound onto the stale white clinic bed sheets. The bound girl tried her best not to make a sound.

"Such a short life she has lived," Aizen said sadly, looking at the seemingly lifeless form of Orihime. "Yet filled with such tragedy. I am sure she will be missed."

Bang.

The room became deathly silent. Menoli peered over at the door warily, frowning. After a few more moments of tension, footsteps and the annoying squeaking of wheels were heard. They soon faded into silence as the producer of the noises traversed out of audible range.

"He can't see or sense the room," Menoli whispered, relief flooded in her voice.

"He'll wander these halls in vain," Loli added, much to Aizen's satisfaction.

"Now…" Aizen started, taking his blade away from Orihime's freely bleeding face. "Time to end the life of this poor, unfortunate human." Orihime gulped as unnoticeably as she could; just how was she supposed to get out of this alive?

"Rest in peace, woman," Aizen concluded, raising his zanpakuto above Orihime's chest. The ginger-haired girl clenched her fists as hard as she could, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes. She waited for death to come, fleeting and silent, but it never did. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that Aizen had frozen. Menoli and Loli watched their Lord's stillness with shock and fear.

"You…what did you do?" Loli asked, turning to Orihime, who had sat up. Orihime looked at Aizen's immobile figure with uncertainty, and then realization dawned upon her.

"I rejected the time around him," she explained, focusing solely on the bands wrapped around her wrists and ankles. They broke apart, turning to ash and falling onto the clean floor.

"Fix it," Loli demanded, advancing towards Orihime, who had swung her legs over to the side of the bed and stood up.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," was the apologetic reply. "I promise this won't hurt." She once again clenched every part of her body as tightly as the could, trying to think of her once looming death, and opened her eyes. She waited. Menoli and Loli looked at each other, then smirked at Orihime, completely animated.

"Sorry, Princess. Looks like you're luck has-" Menoli started, but cut herself off as Orihime ran between the two female arrancar as fast as she could and out the door.

* * *

**Yeesh, more filler. Will Ulquiorra find his woman? Will Aizen ever move again? What will Szayel contribute to their escapade? Find out in the next thrilling installment! Read and review, please!**


	18. Deprecate

"Huh? Wha? Where am I?" a bewildered voice asked from below Ulquiorra. Looking around wildly, the Espada sensed nobody…until a fist collided with his head.

"Kurosaki Ichigo!" Ulquiorra exclaimed, stopping mid-stride. The orange-haired shinigami was glaring up at him from the cot, fully conscious.

"Yeah, that's me," Ichigo replied. "What did you do with Inoue?"

"What did _I_ do? What did your Soul Reaper people do with her?" Ulquiorra barked back, an undeniable urge to push the cot Ichigo was on down the dozens of flights of stairs he had to climb with him in tow.

"My people? They were being impersonated by two Arrancar!" Ichigo spat back. Ulquiorra's eyes widened, then closed in frustration.

"You're conscious, right?" the Espada asked coolly, staring down at the ryoka.

"_No."_

"I'm out of here. Good luck," was the bitter reply as Ulquiorra continued down the hallway, peering into obviously empty rooms on the way.

"Wait!" Ichigo called after him, still on the rolling bed.

"Yes?" Ulquiorra replied, turning back ever so slightly.

"I…I can't move," was the defeated response. Ulquiorra felt like his hand was going to fly off and smack Ichigo across the face.

"…what?"

"Those Arrancar, your family, paralyzed my legs!"

"We're not related."

"It doesn't matter." Ichigo bit his lip. "Look, Ulquiorra…We need to work together." Ulquiorra raised his eyesbrows.

"I believe I offered that before you died and took away my wo-"

"Ulquiorra-san! Kurosaki-kun!" a familiar voice yelled. The two men turned to the source of the voice; much to their relief, Orihime was rushing towards them in a hospital gown.

"Inoue! Where's-" Ichigo started as Ulquiorra began to push the cot he was on in the opposite direction.

"Don't talk, just run!" she yelled, sprinting past Ulquiorra and Ichigo. Peering down the hallway, Ulquiorra saw Loli and Menoli gaining on Orihime; wordlessly, he picked up Orihime and threw her over his shoulder, prepared to take off. Then, he froze. Glaring behind him, he saw Ichigo sitting vulnerably on the cot, his eyes wide with helplessness. Sighing, he grabbed the shinigami and slung him over his other shoulder, then began racing down the hall. Within seconds, they were in the street in front of the clinic.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked as Ulquiorra ripped the doors of a red Honda off and tossed Orihime and Ichigo into the back seats. He climbed into the driver's seat and pressed his foot to the gas pedal. Nothing happened.

"Ulquiorra-san…you need to start the car first," Orihime whispered, glancing at the clinic door. Nobody emerged from it yet.

"How?" was the emotionless reply.

"Tatsuki taught me how to jumpstart a car once," Orihime answered, stepping out of the car. "That should get it started." She went around to the front and opened the car hood; Ichigo and Ulquiorra sat in silence until the engine sprang to life. Orihime got back in the car, sitting in the driver's seat. Once again, Ulquiorra pressed the gas pedal; the car lurched forward, one wheel still on the sidewalk curb.

"Do you know how to drive?" Ichigo asked as they sped through a red light, almost uprooting a tree with the left side of the car.

"I've seen humans do it," was the experienced reply.

"Hit the brakes!" Orihime exclaimed from next to Ulquiorra as a white van with the right of way came speeding towards them.

"Brakes?"

"The other pedal!" With that said, the car came to a halting stop; every passenger hit their head on whatever was in front of them due to the sudden halt.

"Ulquiorra-san, you need to be more careful! This is a moving vehicle, and-" When there were no more cars in sight, Ulquiorra slammed down the gas pedal once again.

"Go faster! I think someone's following us!" Ichigo yelled from the backseat. Pressing the pedal all the way into the floor of the car, Ulquiorra took a sharp left turn; all the passengers could feel the car tip.

"We're going to die!" Ichigo yelled, falling out of the door-less car. Suddenly, time seemed to stop. Orihime climbed out of the car, looking somewhat satisfied. The car had frozen at a thirty degree angle from the road. Ulquiorra got out as well as Orihime helped Ichigo to his feet, having him prop himself up against a telephone pole.

"Was that your doing?" Ulquiorra asked the ginger-haired girl beaming next to him. She nodded, pushing the car back onto it's wheels; it seemed weightless. Someone from behind her then wrapped their arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"I'm glad your okay," Ulquiorra whispered in her ear, tilting her head up to look at her. He frowned at the cut on her cheek. "What happened?"

"Aizen cut me," she said, lightly tracing the outline of the wound on her face.

"It's pretty deep," the Espada noted grimly. "It might scar." Ichigo made a growling noise from behind the two.

"Let's kill Aizen already," he said angrily, staring at the scratch on Orihime's face. Ulquiorra frowned at him with pity.

"You can't just kill Aizen," he explained. "It's not as simple as that."

"Then what do we do? Hide from him for the rest of our lives?"

"Of course not," Ulquiorra retorted, glaring at the orange-haired ryoka. "What I'm saying is that at our current level, we're not strong enough to even begin to overpower Aizen." Orihime bit her lip.

"But, what about the other Espada? Like Grimmjow-san and Nnoitra-san?" she asked. Ulquiorra gravely bowed his head at the mention of the two's names. He then lifted it, thinking about what Szayel had said. Although it pained him to admit it, the pink-haired psychopath was right; he wasn't the kind of person to care about the death of his comrades. Looking over Orihime's troubled expression, he frowned; love sure was a complex and confusing emotion.

"They are deceased," Ulquiorra finally said, turning away. He didn't want his lack of emotion to scare the two humans.

"Ulquiorra-san? Are you okay?" Orihime asked, gently reaching out and putting her hand on Ulquiorra's shoulder.

"Yes," he replied like clockwork.

"Y-You're crying, Ulquiorra-san." Of all the responses he expected, this was not one of them.

"Oho. Who's human now?" an annoyingly witty voice then asked. Ichigo let out another growl at the new found presence.

"More Arrancar," he stated, fingering the hilt of his zanpakuto. The pink-haired Espada grinned widely, taking another step toward the group. Orihime's face looked the most confused it had all day. Ulquiorra groaned.

"Go away," he demanded, wiping his eyes on his sleeves. Tears were indeed streaming down his face, but he didn't know why. He didn't feel sad or frustrated or any other tear-inducing sentiment.

"I'm not going anywhere," Szayel said, smiling wider still. "I have orders to fulfill."

"Like what?" was the disbelieving response.

"Like this." Pointing his finger at Orihime, he muttered, "Cero."

"Kyugeki Haijo!" she exclaimed nanoseconds afterwards; time froze yet again. Ichigo and Ulquiorra remained mobile, but all around them an unsettling green color grew.

"Awesome, Inoue," Ichigo said, grinning even wider than the now frozen Szayel had. Ulquiorra said nothing, only ran over to Orihime, who had fallen to her knees. Ichigo's smile instantly faded to a look of absolute terror. Orihime was kneeling in a puddle of dark blood, clutching her right arm. Or, at least, what used to be her right arm, which was lying a few feet away from the trio. Ulquiorra was seated next to her, his arms outstretched. He was afraid to even touch her, for fear of inducing her injury. Orihime looked over at Ichigo, fear in her eyes.

"I'm going to die," she whispered, sealing her fate with each of the four words that issued out of her mouth. As if by witchcraft, her other arm was then mercilessly ripped from her body by some unknown force. More blood spewed from her mangled body as she fell to the floor. Her scream was the only noise heard in the frozen time-space abyss. Not even wind whistled beneath it.

"Orihime! Hang on!" Ulquiorra screamed back, ripping off his jacket and tearing it in two; he held both pieces of cloth against her bleeding shoulders, trying to apply pressure to the near-fatal wounds. Though Ichigo knew better than to voice it, he knew it wasn't working.

"I see it," Orihime then whispered, lifting her face.

"What do you see?" Ulquiorra asked, his voice panicky.

"If you loved me, Ulquiorra-san, you would kill me." Time seemed to freeze once more.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't make me go through this torture!" Orihime howled again, smashing her head against the concrete sidewalk beneath her. Ulquiorra held her firmly in place, not being able to do anything with both arms occupied as he watched blood flow down from her forehead.

"Kurosaki, go see if there's anybody else moving!" Ulquiorra then ordered, his voice cracking on "moving." "I'll try to stem the flow of-"

The Espada then silenced as hot blood sprayed his even paler than usual face; Orihime's left eye seemed to have exploded. She screamed again. At this point, Ichigo ran over to Orihime as Ulquiorra ripped a piece of cloth from one of his hakama legs and placed it over her eye socket.

"She's going to die of blood loss if we don't get her to a hospital!" the Arrancar yelled, looking around. He cursed when he realized that the only clinic was the Kurosaki Clinic.

"What's going on?" Ichigo then yelled; a shapeless black mass was beginning to form in front of the three.

"Damn," Ulquiorra muttered. "A portal." It was, indeed, a portal, and out of it stepped none other than Aizen.

"Greetings," the ex-captain saluted them, the black hole disappearing from behind him. He looked over Orihime, looking somewhat revolted. He then shook his head.

"She should have expected this," Aizen said, sighing. "I-" Before he could continue, Ulquiorra's blade was at his neck; Ichigo ran to Orihime, holding the makeshift bandages on Orihime's wounds.

"What are you talking about?" the Espada snarled, tightening his grip in his sword.

"She used temporal and spatial rejection," Aizen replied. "Such a feat would be sure to require some sort of sacrifice." He looked over at Orihime's now trembling body.

"She's done it three times, I presume. One for her left arm, one for her right, and once for her eye." Before any more could be said on the matter, Ulquiorra pressed his katana into Aizen's neck as relentlessly as he could; the blade cut through more than an inch of flesh before Aizen pulled away, withdrawing his own sword.

"You'll regret the day you turned your blade against me, ex-Espada," Aizen spat, a familiar crimson liquid flowing from the deep wound in his neck. "What your woman is suffering is only a small taste of what I will inflict on you."

* * *

**Yikes. Unsettling, is it not? Don't worry. It's all good. Btw, "kyugeki haijo" roughly translates to "sudden rejection." It's not as cool as I wanted it to sound, but with her life at stake for the third time, Orihime finally learns how to incantate the temporal rejection power! Eheh.  
Read and review, fer pavore. Grazie per la lettura finora. Prometto che la conclusione sarà felice!**


	19. Valor

"_You…you killed Aizen-sama?"_

"_How could you? Your Aizen-sama!"_

"_I'll kill you, too."_

Ulquiorra looked down at the motionless body draped across the pavement. His breathing came in irregular gasps, and his hands shook violently. Luckily, he had already dropped his sword after dealing the finishing blow to his former God. An annoying buzzing sound filled his ears, along with his conscious speaking harsh words to him:

"_You won't be forgiven."_

"_He created you."_

"_Kill Inoue Orihime. She's the source of this madness."_

"Ulquiorra-san! Are you alright?" Orihime asked, rushing up beside the now falling Espada.

"Orihime? You're okay?" Ulquiorra asked in confusion, looking the unscathed Orihime up and down.

"Tch. It was an illusion," Ichigo cut in, kicking the corpse of Sosuke Aizen over onto his front. "That bastard's bankai did it."

"I'm so glad," Ulquiorra mumbled, sitting up. He clutched his head with his hand. Though the taunts of his mind had subsided, they were suddenly replaced with a terrible headache.

"You…you were amazing, Ulquiorra-san," Orihime complimented, her face pinkening a tinge. Ulquiorra smiled up at her, glancing over at Ichigo with a smug look on his face. The orange-haired youth simply turned away from the two, crossing his arms across his chest.

"We need to go help Grimmjow-san and Nnoitra-san, don't we?" Orihime then pointed out, reaching out to Ulquiorra. Nodding, he grabbed her hand and allowed her to pull him up. Looking over his back once again at Aizen's body, Ulquiorra winced. Vivid recollections from their fight flooded his head.

_Slash with left, shield with right. Aizen doged Ulquiorra's attack, and managed to break his guard, piercing his hierro. Blood sprayed from the fresh wound._

"_You know you can't defeat me," Aizen had whispered in the Espada's ear; Ulquiorra immediately parried Aizen's incoming attack. How had he managed to get so close to him?_

"_Bind! Murus-Hierago!" an angered Ulquiorra then growled, gripping his zanpakuto ever more tightly. A flash of light, then nothing._

"Admit it, Orihime-chan. You're going to lose."

Ulquiorra's eyes fluttered open, then immediately snapped shut again; a blinding light was mounted above him. Adjusting to the light, Ulquiorra sat up, meeting the bright face of Orihime. She appeared to be playing Monopoly with Szayel.

"Ulquiorra-san!" she exclaimed, beaming. "You're awake!"

"What happened?" the Espada asked, taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be back in the clinic, but all of the lights were on, and it seemed much less depressing. The enormous spiritual pressure that had been hanging over the building had disappeared. "Why is _he_ here?"

"What about us, huh?" a familiar voice then asked. Turning to the left, Ulquiorra saw that both Grimmjow and Nnoitra were lying in cots like he was, scowling.

"You passed out, Ulquiorra-san," Orihime explained. "Szayel-san had opened a portal and pulled out Grimmjow-san and Nnoitra-san, then took you all to the hospital." She smiled gently.

"And Aizen is-"

"Dead. Gin and Tousen came to pick up his corpse, but some Shinigami Captains stopped them and took all three with them to the Soul Society," Grimmjow continued. He wrinkled his nose. "I heard the story of how you killed him. Pretty ingenious, even for you."

Ulquiorra blinked. "What do you mean? How did I kill him?"

"You don't remember, Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime asked, surprised. She then giggled, putting her hand over her mouth. "It doesn't matter. It's all behind us now, anyway."

"What did I do? What's so weird?" Ulquiorra began, but then a better question surfaced in his mind. "Where's Kurosai Ichigo?"

"He gained mobility in his legs and left about half an hour ago. Rukia-san and Renji-san were with him," Orihime said, taking an icepack and applying it to the raven-haired arrancar's forehead. Ulquiorra knocked it aside, however, sitting up and swinging his legs over to one side of the cot.

"Please, Ulquiorra-san, lie back down!" Orihime persisted, placing her hand on his forearm. "You've suffered extensive head injury and-" Not allowing Orihime to finish, Ulquiorra then seized her by the shoulders and crushed his lips to hers, tightly wrapping his arms around her.

"U-Ulquiorra-san…you…" Orihime whispered once they broke apart.

"Please," Ulquiorra replied, taking a lock of her hair in his fingers. "Just call me Ulquiorra."

"_Ahem_."

Ulquiorra's attention was then diverted to the other three Espada in the room. They all looked at him fearfully and apprehensively.

"What's going to happen to us Arrancar now that Aizen is dead?" Nnoitra asked, sitting up as well.

"We don't need Shinigami to operate Las Noches," Ulquiorra concluded, standing up. He grabbed Orihime's hand for support, and then started for the door. An uncomfortable silence ensued as the two left the room.

"Ulquiorra, where are we going?" Orihime asked as Ulquiorra stopped, leaning against the hallway wall for support. He turned to Orihime, an appealing smile worn on his face.

"I don't believe we got to finish what we started…woman," the Cuatro Espada replied smoothly, his face drawing nearer to hers with each passing second. Gathering her courage, Orihime then closed the distance between the two and pressed her lips to Ulquiorra's. She once again found herself in his embrace, and nothing felt more right.

"Orihime? What's wrong?" Ulquiorra asked, breaking the kiss for a brief second. He had only just realized that Orihime was crying. In reply, the ginger-haired girl merely kissed Ulquiorra again, letting go of all of her troubles.

Aizen was dead, and she…no, everything was saved.

-

"I support you," Rukia said, looking Ichigo dead in the eye. "I've always supported you." The ryoka fidgeted under her intense gaze, looking over at Renji for reassurance.

"Don't look at me," the red-haired Shinigami said, standing up. "It's not that I have a grudge or anything, but we need Orihime on our side. She has powerful healing abilities, capable of even bringing back the dead."

"I want her here with us," Ichigo replied, watching Renji leave the empty office they were conversing in.

"If you haven't noticed by now, Inoue's feelings for you are very strong," Rukia then pointed out. "Do you think you could ever return them?" Ichigo hesitated.

"Yes," he said, finally, standing up and following Renji's example. "I do." And with that he, too, left.

-

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm staying in Las Noches," Grimmjow admitted, taking the icepack Ulquiorra had put aside and placing it on his shoulder.

"What about the hougyoku?" Szayel asked, pushing his glasses up further on his nose.

"Let's just chuck it into the sea," Grimmjow replied, lying back down on his back. "It's not like We're gonna need it anymore."

"You're horrible," Szayel said, standing up and peering out of the looking hole in the door once again. "But you're nowhere near as bad as Ulquiorra. Doesn't he know that humans need to breathe?"

"Do you think Ulquiorra'll come back to Las Noches?" Grimmjow asked, looking over at Nnoitra's sleeping form. Szayel looked at the blue-haired Espada incredulously.

"Not that I want him to or anything," Grimmjow added in defensively. "It's just that he might bring Orihime with him, and she wouldn't be so bad to have around."

Chuckling, Szayel sat back down in his reclining chair and threw the monopoly dice at Grimmjow, smirking.

"I don't know. Maybe," the pink-haired arrancar replied. "If you care so much about Orihime-chan, then beat me at Monopoly. You can start from where she left off."

Scowling, Grimmjow rolled the dice; naturally, it landed on "six."

-

"Orihime, will you stay with me?" Ulquiorra asked, taking her hand in his. "Will you come back to Hueco Mundo with me?" Orihime pulled her hand away, turning her back to Ulquiorra.

"I-I don't know," she replied. "It depends."

"Depends on what?" Ulquiorra asked, a hint of panic in his voice. He desperately needed Orihime by his side, for the rest of his life.

"How much do you need me?" she then asked, looking down at her feet. Ulquiorra hesitated, then kneeled to the ground on his right knee, making Orihime face him again.

"Orihime…" he started awkwardly, once again taking her hand. "You've given me a reason to live. If it weren't for you, then-"

"No! Don't listen to him, Inoue!"

Ulquiorra turned angrily to the source of the outcry. Sure enough, it was Ichigo.

"Stay here with me! Inoue, please, don't leave!" the orange-haired boy exclaimed, grabbing Orihime's shoulders. "We need you here! I need you!" Orihime bit her lip. She looked down at Ulquiorra, who was still on his knees. He looked up at her, eyes pleading.

"Orihime…please," he choked out, squeezing her hand in his ever so slightly.

"Inoue! I'm begging you!" Ichigo yelled in his defense, his eyes boring into hers. Seconds went by. Orihime struggled internally with her answer, looking from Ulquiorra to Ichigo, back and forth.

She could either stay with Ichigo, the one she loved…

Or Ulquiorra, the one who loved her.

Swallowing, Orihime fully faced Ichigo and pressed her lips to his cheek.

"I'm so sorry," she began, tears welling up in her pristine silver eyes. "Kurosaki-kun." She turned to Ulquiorra and held out her hand, helping him up once again. Tightly wrapping her arms around his waist, she looked up at him, hot tears streaming down her face.

"Ulquiorra," she said, burying her face in his hospital gown. "I want to be with you."

* * *

**Okay, people. As you may (not) have noticed, this fic's one year anniversary is almost here. Unfortunately, however, I can say with pride(?) that it won't make it that far. Because...(dun dundun dun dun) this is the penultimate chapter! That means second to last! Now that Orihime has chosen Ulquiorra, what wonders await them in chapter 20? Read and review, or you'll never know! Thank you! I love you all!**


	20. Sancta Terra

_Six Years Later_

_Dear Orihime,_

_Congratulations on the wedding! You looked lovely in Matsumoto's gown. Ichigo and I wish you the best in your new life._

_Love, Kuchiki Rukia_

Orihime smiled and set the card down, having re-read it for the fourth time. She smiled over at Ulquiorra, who was counting out cards on the kitchen counter.

"Hmm," he then said, holding up something white.

"What is it?" Orihime asked, standing up and walking over to the ex-Espada scowling at a piece of paper.

"Nnoitra sent us a card," Ulquiorra replied. "But he wrote it on toilet paper."

"What's it say?"

"Just his name."

"That's so like him," Orihime said, smiling. Ulquiorra sighed, tossing the limp card into the trashcan.

"Well, I should really get going."

Ulquiorra turned to the ginger-haired girl while walking over to the kitchen stove, checking on his mashed potatoes.

"You're going to work on Sunday?" he asked, surprised. "Why don't you take a day off?"

"I can't. Soul Society needs me. There're a lot of people being injured lately, and I can't just not show up," Orihime replied somewhat reluctantly.

"I'm sure Captain Ichimaru will understand," Ulquiorra continued, turning down the stove.

"I'm not so sure…"

"Listen, Orihime," Ulquiorra said softly, slowly making his way over to the stressed girl. He pulled her close against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her; she could hear his voice resonate in his chest with each word he spoke.

"I love you." A warm, familiar silence crept over the two. Orihime sucked in a lungful of air. She stared up into his piercing eyes, parting her lips and speaking.

"I love you, too."

And she did.

-

"What does Ulquiorra-kun think he's doing, getting all comfy?" Szayel exclaimed, pouting. "Because of him settling down, we're the one's stuck capturing all of the Arrancar."

"Whatever. I'm just glad he's out of the picture," Grimmjow retorted, trying to sense any remotely significant spiritual pressure. To his relief, he didn't.

"You think he knows that just defeating Aizen didn't keep everyone safe?" the pink-haired Espada continued, ceasing his pacing and sitting down on a bench next to a bus stop.

"Of course he does," Grimmjow answered, standing awkwardly next to Szayel. "He's just pretending not to."

"And why is that?"

"Well, you know what they say…" Grimmjow explained, smiling oddly. Szayel turned to the blue-haired Arrancar, mildly interested in their conversation.

"What?" he asked. Grimmjow smirked.

"With ignorance comes bliss."

_Fin_

* * *

**So. This is it. I apologize for the extreme shortness, but there just wasn't really that much to type. ^_^;  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I did writing it.**

**Thank you SO much to everyone who's reviewed from the publish date to the finish date:**

**wutai flea  
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**And thanks to all of you who are yet to review! If there are any, that is.**

**Much love, Mikuzu**


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